Kara
by Icy Pheonix
Summary: On hiatus. Synonym for Death of Story. Sorry guys...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

**Introduction**

A cloud sped across the moon, blocking out all visible light. The cloud lighted blue and decided to hang around, leaving the night a barren wasteland. Once again, the quiet night was shrouded in darkness. Dark and peaceful. Nothing was happening down on this quiet town of Alken, New Jersey. Everyone was asleep at 2:30; even the rowdiest teens had quieted.

People were in their houses, totally unaware that the night was not as quiet as they thought.

For as a small dark-haired female broke into the nearest bank, she was so skilled, the all-new high-tech search camera system installed in the building not at all caught her presence. In fact, the cameras were new because of her and her phantom-like ability. Yes, this girl was so skilled, not even the motion detectors caught her.

For no one had ever caught Kara Azhura. And no one ever would. Everyone tried – no one enjoyed having his or her valuables stolen, after all. They'd set the little red beam security features, they'd sent manpits, they'd set alarms that rang whenever you first set foot on the floor – but Kara was simply untouchable. Some even went so far as to call her Catwoman, the legendary thief of the fictional Gotham City. For that's what she was. A highly unusual person. No thief had ever evaded officials for as long as 6 years. Because 6 years ago was her last mistake. She had made none since, or at least none that anyone noticed. There was now a 40,000 dollar reward for her arrest.

But no one had ever even seen her. How could they catch her?

Kara sped slowly and silently to the internal safes, picking the locks as if she'd been born doing it. In very little time the locks were creaky and dead. She swung open the doors, and the cold hard contents spilled out at Kara's feet.

Kara allowed herself a tiny smile. She'd done it again.

Once again, she had money for that special purpose.

The only thing in the world that mattered.

In the morning of this same city…

I angrily click the remote again and again. Is there ever anything good on Mondays?

I'm stretched out on my crappy sofa. It's crappy just because there are holes everywhere and the stuffing has no place to go but out.

Just like my life. Slowly deteriorating because people keep touching and squashing it.

Great. I have something in common with my couch. I'm going soft.

Groaning, I get off of my crappy sofa and click the remote standing up. No use being uncomfortable while I'm getting my daily TV intake.

Annoyed, I finally flip to channel 10, where the morning Dateline is playing. Now here I am…and about time, too. I thought they'd never mention me.

I watch the reporter, an insane smile flickering across my face. It's Stone Phillips, with his comically serious voice.

"It seems that we have had yet another break-in from the mysterious Catwoman." He begins with his usual morning drone. "Officials have been looking into the issue and have discovered that this person has nabbed about $30,000 from the main vault. Here is Stan Poller."

The camera switches to a droopy looking guy. He mutters, just loud enough for the camera to hear, "We're in luck. He or she left us $30 in change on the bottom of the vault."

I snicker. Yeah, they are lucky. The camera switches back to Phillips.

"Wow. Thirty to thirty thousand dollars. The man has got some nerve. And now, we turn to the Federation of Agriculture…"

"That's it?" I whisper to myself, blowing a stray strand of brown hair that isn't wrapped up in my makeshift ponytail. "Just that I've got some nerve?" I switch the channel. Who cares about the Department of Agriculture? I want to hear about me!

My god, I'm sane enough to at least get a little attention, right?

Well, maybe I'm not sane. Sanity is all in the eyes of the beholder. But even if I am sane, I'm pretty sure that I'm at least a kleptomaniac. I've been stealing since I was 8, and 7 years of stealing after that is probably going to leave a mark on your psyche.

But you might be wondering why I even have to steal.

Well, that goes back a long time.

I never grew up rich – none of my family ever did. You could say that's why I am so totally screwed in terms of family and social life. So now, I have to use my ability if I want to get by. My dad could care less about income – he doesn't even ask why thousands turn up on a nightly basis.

At 15, I'm not old enough to work, and I wouldn't even if I could. Stealing gives me a much better rush than mowing lawns, which I actually tried once. I can't work. It's just how I am. I'm lazy, and I already tried the straight route. It's not for me. When I see something I like, I just take it. I guess that really does make me a klepto. Nothing I can do.

I switch off the TV, and walk over to the window. I stare outside at the one lonely hedge in my front yard. If you can call it a front yard, anyway. It's basically just a 5-yard by 5-yard stretch of grass. Even if I wanted another hedge, it wouldn't fit. My current hedge covers the whole lot of it. It's a cute little rhododendron and sadly, it's also my only friend. I don't go to school, and so I never meet anyone my age. The only people on my block are some drunken old men and teen guys that _will_ harass you and even go further – I've seen it done before. So, basically I don't go out except for nights when I steal my necessary money.

Back to my one true friend, the bush, there is a little hollow in the middle of it, and I usually sit there when my dad comes home. It's not a big deal, because I don't think he realizes it when I'm gone. When I was around 1, or so he says, and he left my mom, he started to drink to ease the pain of her leaving. (My dad was never a very rational person even before the alcohol.) Eventually, he got hooked, just like every other moron who drinks alcohol regularly, and pretty much extinguished his personality. Now whenever he talks, it's just the beer talking. I can't trust him with anything.

And sometimes the beer talks physically. He can get pretty violent sometimes, like when he just gets back, so I guess I have to avoid it and play it safe as much as possible. When that happens, I come right out to my rhododendron and stay there. But at least I don't have to live in this bush. My dad is MIA so often anyway, I get a lot of free time. Like now, for instance. My dad has been out for three days now, but I can't say I'm worried. Once he stayed out for a full week, and he still didn't notice me when he finally got back to our tiny shack.

I know, I know, my home life sucks. But it really isn't so bad. I wouldn't be able to get out at all if he wasn't gone all the time, so it really is a big bonus for both of us. He gets happy slowly killing his liver, and I get happy stealing. We do what we do. As I said, no big deal; it never amounts to one. He ignores me, I ignore him. It's just our relationship.

And I don't know what made me go this way. It's just something I do. Mother Teresa was born to help those abandoned to die in the slums of Calcutta. I was born to take what is not mine through any means possible.

We all have purposes. Mine is truly evading the law – and my father.

Author's Note: Well, here is finally somthing new, so review! Do you like the anger part of this so far?

And let me describe Kara a little bit. She is much different from Katrina, even if they have similar names. Katrina generally has a positive outlook on life, and Kara thinks the world has discarded her into the trash heap. I know I started Kara out a little one-sidedly, but she'll show different sides later. I hope I don't make her into this is huge annoying kickass rude punk, and you can let me know if she seems that way. Flames are accepted, just include what you liked along with it.

And please let me know, do you like WHTML or this one better (so far, anyway)? I need to know these things so I know how to change things! Okay then, this concludes my blah blah. Just review and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

Chapter 2: Continuation… 

I stop watching out the window for my dangerous dirtbag dad and walk to the bathroom. As long as I'm bored, I guess I'll look at myself. It's what I do occasionally.

I walk the several paces to the bathroom and watch the teen in the mirror.

I admit, I've always been kind of vain about my appearance, and I like to watch how I look and all that.

I look the same as I've always been. Blue eyes, long brown hair; thin face, wiry body, not very shapely yet; the usual. I'm always going to look like this. It's my destiny, if you want to put it that way.

But one thing I am never happy with is my clothes. I go out at night so often that I wear out my clothes, piece by tiny piece, and I hate stealing from clothes stores – it's like a maze in there. So naturally, I don't usually get more clothes than what I have. And like every other girl my age, I always am never happy with my clothes.

I touch the tattered fabric of my jean capris. My partially shredded T-shirt needs work, too. The ends are starting to get frayed.

I laugh to myself. You could say that I'm a bit of a prep. Kleptomaniac prep. Now there's a new one… But I guess I am also a tomboy in some ways as well. Kind of a crazed mixture.

I stroke the ends of my hair lovingly. Just recently I got a load of hair dye from this barber's shop, and it's one of the few things that I have actually bought. I saw the bottle of black hair dye, and I liked it so much that I figured that it should be respected enough to be bought with money. I always wanted to have black hair. The Koreans are so lucky, all that shiny black beautiful perfect hair.

Only my dye wasn't black. It actually turned out to be green. Most girls would have gotten all oh-no-oh-no someone might see me, but I don't really care. I actually kind of like the style, and who's here to judge me anyway? I guess it's a good thing that I only dyed the ends. Now I don't have to go around looking like a punk, just punk-ish. Nothing too weird or strange.

I stare at myself some more. When I'm bored and don't feel like going out, this is what I do. I excessively obsess over my reflection. I'm never satisfied with myself, and not just in terms of face value. I also don't care much for my life, either. A drunken dad, constantly committing felonies, having nothing in my life to be proud of.

It is hard, and I know the way I live is wrong, I'm not that stupid. But this is the only way I can have fun and survive at the same time.

I give my reflection another gaze, and stride out. Maybe I'll go to my hedge and think. Plan my next happy little outing.

I go to my dingy little wooden door. I open it carefully, because if you rip open my door, the doorknob is the part that will do the ripping.

I step outside, trying not to breathe. Our little city is chock-full of poisonous smog, and I really don't feel like slowly dying. Walking about two steps, not even, I dive into my bush, something that would look odd to the average passerby. I feel some leaves and petals crunch as I land in the center like a cat. I roll accidentally and end up jabbing myself with an unearthed root. Ow, that hurt!

I massage my butt slowly, looking around my little clearing. No one would ever guess this was here looking in. It just looks like a thorny bush. But internally, it wins the Best Hideout medal.

The way my bush is built is that the stump connected to the roots is on one side of my "yard," and it creates a little canopy over the whole thing. Of course, some branches have collapsed to the bottom, limiting the crawling space, but the good thing is that they fell in a yard-by-yard ring. Now, whenever you want to just dive in, you have to accept some scratches from the outside, but inside, it makes one of the safest fortresses you could ever want. Thorns on the outside and an extremely well hidden circular inside. It's perfect for hiding anytime, anywhere.

This is my thinking spot and my planning spot too.

This is the reason why I like to call it my friend. It is the only thing I really like about my home.

Getting into the typical Indian cross-legged position, I put my head in my hands.

I'm running out of places to rob. It takes these areas awhile to replenish their wealth, so they are pretty much out of the question for a few months. I don't want to do individual burglaries of people's houses, just because much of their wealth is stored in the banks, which I already ran through anyway.

So what and where can I steal? I…I need to steal. Like I said, I am a klepto, and kleptos need to steal. That's all there is to it.

I think once again through all of the places I have taken stuff from.

New Jersey Center Bank: That was the one I just robbed, and the security systems were little more than a joke. All I had to do was slip under, above, and around them, and I got to the vault without a scratch. NJ Trust Company: They weren't expecting me to rob them, so they had no security features. The Harleysville National: They had armed guards, even though they were blind as bats in the dark. The 'We Come To You' bank: Motion detectors. I nearly got caught. They picked me up and set a silent alarm through the place, and I didn't realize it until I was almost gunned down by cops. I escaped because I hid inside the building until they went away for a break, and I escaped. The Kay Jewelry store: The most beautiful place I have ever robbed. Instead of selling all of the gems via the black market, I kept a few of the prettier ones. State Farm Bank Industry: They had those red-beam motion detectors. I guess I owe my limber body for getting me through successfully. NJ Mint…that wasn't hard, but it was such a maze inside that I was there for hours, and the vaults of coins were sealed in stainless steel. To get them, I had to come back, night after night, and waited for someone to leave the vaults open. On the eighth night, someone did, and I made $10,000 in quarters. Those were my most memorable "kills."

I'm not exactly sure, but I think that's about all the major moneymakers of this town. I keep the money I steal in this little suitcase, which I hid in this little pen. It's buried about 6 inches down, and I know no one will ever come looking for it here. That is the main function this serves. In all, I made about $10,000,000 from all of them combined, and I can't even use the money. People would wonder how a 15 year old got ahold of such millions, and they would get even more suspicious when they saw this tiny trailer shack that I live in.

But even if I had only stolen $11, I wouldn't use it. I'm saving it all for that one special goal…

I get lost in my daydreams.

Awhile later, I wake up. Jeez, how long has it been? I'm frickin' starving!

I get up off the ground, massaging a cramp in my neck, and get out. This is where is gets tricky. This shrub it built like a lobster trap – easy as pie to get in, and very difficult to get out.

I slowly start to pull apart the branches holding me hostage. I ignore the pain from the minor thorns. It's not that bad. I can deal with it. I can deal with a lot of things. It's one of my few prides. I just don't panic under any situation. I remain calm and collected, and it really helps you to focus and think. That might be one of the reasons why I am so stealthy. No emotions or conscience to start nagging and give me cold feet and ultimately, make me screw up and land myself in prison. I have no intention of going to prison, oddly enough.

Biting my lip, I pull and tug rhythmically, finally getting a small hole for my efforts. I stick my arms through, widening the gap, and finally pull my torso through, followed quickly by my legs.

I suck my bleeding hands, and walk up to the door, pulling it open quietly. I don't want to wake anyone. All of my neighbors already have a problem with me, and I don't need to wake them up _again_. It would be the third time this week, and it's only Thursday. I have a habit of making a lot of noise at night, just because I am so desperate to hear something. I talk so little, and make so little noise, that all the quiet is going to my head. I need to make a sound. Anything at all; anything to distract me from the thieving secretive quiet nightmare that is my life. And this anything is usually during the night, for whatever reason. There's plenty of noise in the daytime. Night is the most trying part of every day for me, and inevitably, it irritates the neighbors.

I guess I'll get something to eat because I'm starving. I'm not usually this hungry, but I guess thinking about where you are going to steal next will do that to you.

I open the door, trying not creak, and foolishly don't look forward.

I know right where the refrigerator is. I don't need to look forward. I'm just concentrating on the ground so that I don't step over all of my dirty laundry that heaps across the floor, and the other thing is not to trip over my couch.

I'm almost there when I see a horrible sight.

It's my father. He must have come back while I was sleeping…

Shit.

This does not look good. I can only see his side profile, but it still does not look good.

His eyes are bloodshot, and his face is all red, hived, and pimply. His dirty blonde hair is even dirtier than usual. This is never a good sign. He has had quite a few beers recently, and he wasn't washed in a very long time.

And the only thing I fear in the world is my dad in a drunken state. So what does the world give me? My dad in a drunken state. Jeez, I really _am_ the unluckiest person I know.

And I just figured out I lied. This is a situation in which I panic.

No. Calm down.

He is digging in the refrigerator, muttering inaudibly. I can see his profile although it is dark.

He hears the door creak shut behind me, and turns his head slightly. He stops chomping on something and watches me as though I am about to run and attack. He really does look scary like that.

We stare at each other, like a tiger that has just found an elephant. Only in that case, the elephant can do harm.

I don't want to hurt my dad. I really, really don't. Yet, he usually wants to hurt me. Now you see why I cherish my rhododendron shrub.

I back away, my eyes not leaving his disgusting, swollen face. He leers at me. At least he isn't in a very violent move, although something tells me that he will be later tonight.

See, the thing the alcohol hates is noise. As long as I don't make a sound, I should be okay. That is what really tips off his violent side.

The major objective is for me to get out of my house without making a sound. That guarantees my survival.

Oh damn, why did I walk so far from that door? It's going to be a miracle if I get out without tripping.

The absolute worst part is that I'm going to have to walk backwards. I need to keep my eye on my dad. If he makes any sudden moves, I'm hightailing out faster than humanly possible.

Well, time to see if it works. He hasn't moved yet, he's just transfixed on my movements just like I am on his. Hah. Apparently _he's_ afraid of _me_. How ironic. Yay. Now we are terrified of each other.

I bite my lip and start to move backward, slowly and surely. As long as I don't trip, I'll be okay. I'll be okay. I'll be okay.

Each step seems to take hours.

But fortunately, apparently I am doing a good job of keeping quiet. He still hasn't moved. This is pretty uncharacteristic, but I'm certainly not complaining.

I can't risk a glance to see how far I've gotten to the door. That would be taking my eyes off of him. Even a second could mean trouble for me. Big trouble.

I compose myself once again. Out of the corners of my eyes, I can tell that I am about 5 steps away from the door just be seeing the sides of the walls. I will make it, see? See? I'm gonna do it.

I will actually win. I'll make it out in one piece.

3 steps…

2 steps…

1…just 1…

There. I can feel the handle.

Now all I have to do is swing around really, really fast, pull open the door hard, and fly outside, alive and free.

My sweaty hand grips the handle. I smile nervously, to get my courage up. My dad watches me like a hawk.

Now's my chance. It'll take him at least 15 seconds to try and catch me if he hears me, because he needs to get off his knees and stagger over to me in all his drunken daze, plus all the elapsed turnaround time factored in between…

It all equals my successful escape.

I smile wider.

I whirl around in an instant, all of my thief's instincts taking hold, and I grab the handle really hard and yank with all of my might.

The handle comes off in my hand.

A/N She is the most unlucky person I know. Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH. And you might be wondering where this ever gets to YYH anyway. Well, I mention something in this chapter, but how they all meet I don't know meself, but I'll try to introduce it by chapter 5 or so. And my original idea was to make Yusuke her long lost brother, but I didn't want to overuse the idea. So, thanks to all my signed and unsigned reviewers! And want to hear a totally random fact? Kara looks exactly like me, except my hair is shorter and not tipped green.

Chapter 3: My Daddy Dearest 

I swear time stops for me to process this horrifying moment – that awful screech of the metal leaving plaster.

In a kind of detached reality, I slowly take in the broken knob. Then I look at the door with its new hole.

How can this HAPPEN? Damn it, I KNEW that was going to happen, and I was too damn headstrong and stupid and rushed to remember!

And now it's damn too late.

Think.

Think.

I won't get the door open without a knob. It just won't happen. Even though there is a hole in the door now, the door is jammed. The only way that it could be open would be for someone stronger than me to bash it down.

But…and yet…it has to work. It is my only chance. I have no windows, except for the small window near the door that I was looking out of earlier, and there's no way I'll fit through there.

But I have more pressing matters to deal with. Because that ripping of the doorknob – so simple and effortless – has tripped off the hearing-sensitive alcohol berserker. In short – I'm dead unless I think of something fast.

Time unfreezes, and I fully accept my death. What can I do?

The bitter word hits me.

_Nothing_. The most awful word ever to be heard in a crisis like this.

My dad looks around, confused about the loud screech. _Where did it come from, anyway? What made that loud noise? Should I kill it?_

His red eyes, once blue, are rolling disgustingly, and a dribble of drool is sliding down his face. He continues to search for the noise.

My heart leaps. Maybe he just can't see me, and his ears don't allow him to hear properly!

I hear him snort, confused, like a horse.

It would make sense! I have better night vision than the average human, and of course all the liquors have probably dulled his senses. Why not? It's a hope, right?

Now all I have to do is avoid him until I think of an idea. I can hear him coming closer; that's my cue to move.

Bending down quietly, I place the detached doorknob on the floor, creating a noise that not even a mouse could hear.

Then, I start to edge around where I can hear his labored breathing.

A thousand thoughts chase through my mind.

_Maybe I could just hide in a closet or something._

_But what closet? Where can you hide in a trailer?_

_The bathroom?_

_NO! That would be trapping yourself if he barges in there._

_No other rooms…_

_But that would mean that my only option is going outside! Which I can't do!_

_No. No. Think. There must be another way out._

_No. I have no door!_

_Think outside the box!_

_No windows. No basement. No attic._

I hear the TV get smashed. It must be the TV, because that is the only sharp glass thing I own.

THINK! THINK! THINKTHINKTHINKTHINKTHINKTHINK…Now my pace is matching my thinking space. I'm flying through the trailer.

_Nowindowsnobasementnoatticnohidingspotnowayout._

_No way out…_

_Am I dead? Am I dead? Am I…wait._

Is taking the life of my attacker out the only option?

But…no. I can't handle hurting someone. I may be a fugitive, and a thief, a common criminal, as they say, but I cannot hurt things. I guess it's one of my weaknesses. I am too compassionate. I am not your typical hardened criminal, at least in my eyes.

But what other choice do I have?

It _is_ my choice.

I set my mind grimly on ATTACK rather than ESCAPE mode. If it's my only option…

My conscience nags at me for the first time in a long time, actually this is the first time since the first time I started to steal, at eight years old_. Do you really have a right to do this? Drunken bum or not, he is your father. Doesn't he have as much right to live as you do? Are you going to become a true murderer tonight?_

"Shut up," I growl to myself. This proves to be a big mistake on my part. Dad hears it and moves closer in my general direction.

_Am I really willing to do this to the only member of my family I have left, jerk he may be?_

I hear the snorting come closer, and my thoughts are cut off. I have to move again. STOP THINKING, MORE MOVING!

I hear the snorting come literally right next to me. I jump away out of fear, and set off an instant chain reaction.

I trip over some of those dirty clothes that litter my floor, and with a slight screech fall backwards. My foot hits something soft, probably my dad's leg or something. When I hit, the force of my fall sends the floor of the trailer rolling and shaking, and it totally pinpoints where I am, not to mention the slight scream. Not even my dad could miss the opportunity.

I try to stand up, my mind running through options in frenzy-like speed, but my feet are way too entangled in this shirt. It's a spaghetti strap shirt, naturally, and the straps are like ropes. There's no way I can get up in time.

I'm so dead it's not even funny.

With a mad scuffling noise, my dad is upon me. More like he falls sideways and trips on yet another shirt, landing on top of me. He knocks all of the wind out of me, and I am temporarily left to suffocate.

But I guess it's a good thing that I have bony stick-out hips, and they drive into him like knives. He yells vaguely and sits up. I get a bubble of hope. Will he just run away? You can't predict how alcoholics will react.

The bubble bursts with my lungs as he whirls, flops, and holds me down with the crushing weight of his bulky body. He is now on his stomach, laying on top of little me. He starts to hit with fists with the strength of rage and confusion, and he hits _everywhere_. I seriously feel like all my bones are being cracked all at once.

I struggle pitifully. For me, it's really sad, the amount of damage I can cause.

Damn, he's strong. There's no way I'll be able to lug him off me. Even with my added adrenalin, which makes my muscles build up, I'm just too weak. If I was a martial arts master, then maybe, but as I am not…

_Crack_.

DAMN, THAT F-ING HURT! Did he seriously break my arm?

He's beating on me with every inch of beer in his bloodstream. He's trying to kill me.

My own father trying to kill me, imagine that.

He's really going to kill me. And the worst part is that he'll succeed.

Can I hurt him back?

Do I have the strength?

Do I have the _guts_?

Strength, definitely not. He's two hundred pounds heavier than me, and I am only 105. Dad was always pretty heavyset.

But do I…

Do I have the courage to defend myself?

I can feel a bruise blossoming on my arm, and probably more on my legs. I have never felt so beaten in my life.

My dad abruptly picks me up by the front of my shirt, like in the movies, and swings me up against the wall so that my feet leave the ground. I hear a bell ring as soon as I am slammed up. I hit my head and my shoulder blades hard.

Blinking stars and other spots out of my blue eyes, I realize vaguely that that was the doorbell ringing.

The doorbell…the thing in the door…

He is startled by the noise, and momentarily confused, but quickly recovers.

Now he's starting to choke me, holding me up against the wall. I can't really breathe at all.

I gasp and fight his killer grip.

But the doorbell…so near the door…so near freedom…and yet so far…I can feel the summer breeze blowing in on my undoubtedly mangled body…

But that breeze – the breeze reminds that I am still alive, and I get my battle spirit back. I kick him in the place that hurts most for men and he recoils, swinging around to slam his whole body on the broken door, doubled over.

Of course, he doesn't bust down the door, it only shakes and trembles under his weight. I hate my luck.

But the most important thing is that he has let go of my throat, and I can breathe again. I slide down the wall, gasping for my much-needed breath of air, and feel around on the ground, trying to ignore the pain of my right arm as it moves. It's my last weapon.

**Yusuke In Spirit World:**

"Are you absolutely, positively sure that this is the special one?" Asks Yusuke for the thousandth time, giving a derogatory look in Kara's direction.

"Yes," replies Koenma exasperatedly, signing papers at his desk.

Yusuke stares into the ball. It is a ball of ice that was made by Yukina, to watch any part of the world at any one time.

"It's just that…it's really dark in there…and I can already tell she fights like an barnacle with a brain tumor."

**Kara:**

My dad is quickly recovering. Now angry as well as intoxicated, I'm practically dead.

There it is! I can feel it!

I close my fingers around the cold hard metal object, feeling slight relief. If I can move my fingers, the arm isn't broken. But by the time my dad gets through with me, it probably will be.

My dad pounces on me again, trapping both my arms with his huge hands. So, I end up having to use my legs in a jiu-jitsu method that I learned from street fighting. You basically loop your legs around your opponent's waist, lock him, and pitch him over your head. With flimsy opponents, it can even snap necks. This technique was invented to work only when you are underneath your enemy, which, fortunately, is exactly what has happened here.

I perform the move. As he goes over, he grunts as his head hits the floor, but it doesn't affect him significantly. I weasel out from under the rest of him and stand over him. I don't have a second to lose. Any second he could snap right back up and beat me again.

I feel for his shoulder. It's a good thing he's kind of dazed. I have time to find the head.

I move my aching fingers up.

I feel that sparse hair. I grab onto the back of his neck like I would handle a rattlesnake, and push his face into the ground very hard, so that it hurts. If he can't see me, it'll slow him down and confuse him. These are the ingredients to a successful fight. Never give your opponent a chance. Always keep him off balance and reeling.

Now is my chance.

I raise my throbbing arm, gritting my teeth hard, both out of pain and mind-war.

_Well?_

_What is wrong with you?_

_Do it._

I can feel him starting to struggle.

_This asshole deserves it. It's him or you._

But can I really do this?

_Yes, you can. Do it. DO IT!_

"Argh."

That's the only sound I make. It's a little exhale. Nothing more.

I raise my arm higher without any further hesitation, and bring the doorknob I grabbed a second ago crashing down on his skull.

Once again, the world slows down.

_Have I truly down the right thing?_

_Was this the right decision?_

_Should I have merely looked for ways to escape?_

Back to regular motion…

I…I can hear something snap. Something that is not mine.

Is he…?

No. That's not right. He can't be dead. Right? Right? Right?

This isn't fair. No…

How could I have been so stupid?????

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A/N Review please! And she's gone to a whole new level. Bad, bad Kara. Now even trying murder! I won't say whether he lives or not. You'll just have to wait. And I don't know what's going to happen either. So don't ask.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH.

Chapter 4: Flight After Fight 

My breath catches in my throat. It's impossible to judge how long I have been standing here. Instead of going slow, the world has speeded up to an incalculable rate. I don't even try to follow it. All I know is me, my trailer, and the body before me.

I shut my eyes. I revisualize the hit I just made. Could it have been lethal?

I open my eyes and stare down at my dad. My doorknob is still resting on his head where it made the final blow.

I can also feel a wetness on my fingertips.

I really did it.

I really, truly killed someone.

How can this be?

Did I really…?

No.

No, he can't be dead. Probably just unconscious. Right? I mean, a blow like that wouldn't have killed him, I mean, get real.

But…and yet…

I did.

I killed.

Tonight, June the 14, I, Kara Azhura, killed.

I stare into space, disbelieving.

I killed.

I'm a murderer.

I don't even deserve to live.

My quivering fingers drop the doorknob.

Something to distract myself with…

I look around wildly. Okay, there's the door…there's the remains of the TV…there's the couch…all is as it should be…this is so not working.

Think, think…

_Out_.

The word hits me suddenly with impressive force. Of course! I'm still trapped! How will I survive in here? I mean, I have the money to get food and all that, but it is under my hedge, and most importantly, OUTSIDE.

Moving away from my father, I go for the door several steps away, high-stepping so as not to trip on anything else. Damnit, if I hadn't tripped, I might have been able to avoid my dad and none of this would have happened!

I can feel the hot air seeping in through the hole. Using what little light the stars yield from OUTSIDE, I stick my hand through and feel around the front of the door. Maybe there's something out there that can help me escape.

My fingers scrape bare, flat wood. Damn! Nothing is in reach that can help me!

I move my fingers far to the left, stretching…

_Ting_.

The doorbell!

I feel a sudden relief at the sound. My ringing it was what prevented my strangulation.

But wait…

If the doorbell is outside…

And I was in here…

No, wait, calm down, think this over.

I run through lots of possibilities, some even as wild as sticking my hand through and hitting it when I was slammed up.

But in the end, there's no way I could have touched that bell while inside.

Then how could I have rung it?

I just assumed that the force of me hitting the door made it sound, but that wouldn't make sense – only the door and maybe some of the framing directly next to it would be affected. Not the wall next to the door. And I am not very heavy anyway.

So then…

_Someone rang my doorbell._

I feel a sudden surprise, quickly followed by fear. No one ever called for me. And I mean no one ever called for me. Most of my nearest neighbors just think that I come here to crash every now and then, and that this place is usually uninhabited.

An awful thought hits me. Is that thing or person that rang my doorbell still out there? Watching me, even?

I take some even, calming breaths. I'll get out of this, but only if I don't lose my head.

Focus simply on getting out.

Taking down my dad may have secured my immediate problem, but it did nothing for my escape.

Sighing, I withdraw my hand. Even my lock picking skills are good for zilch if there's no knob. The knob is what makes the clockwork turn.

Clockwork.

Hey, can't I do that? Can't I just turn it manually?

I put my finger in the wood between the outside and inside layer. I do indeed feel a tiny hole, where the doorknob probably was inserted into.

Using my pinky finger, my smallest one, I reach in, guiding my finger through. At least the hole is big enough for me to get through, although the miniscule tunnel gets smaller and smaller, compressing my finger tip more and more. I can hear lots of mechanisms moving. That's natural.

I finally feel a telltale little click inside. Good. I know enough about locks to know that this is where I need to be.

Now, if this is a normal lock, all I have to do is turn in clockwise, so then it'll trip that switch…

I give my finger a little twist, spraining it in the process, but I do know that I succeeded when I hear a different, louder click from the lock.

Now comes the trickiest part. If I had a knob, it would be a matter of turning it and getting free. But as I don't, I'm going to have to do things a step up from normal.

The first thing is to stick my finger back in the hole and turn it manually. That part is relatively simple. I stick in my pointer finger, and rotate it counterclockwise very carefully.

Now is the hardest of parts. I have to pull open the door while my finger is still in that position. This is going to be very crucial. If I pull open the door and let go too soon, the door will jam and I'll have even a harder time to trying to decode it.

Here's goes all of my klepto skills. Nice to see that they were actually handy for something other than breaking the law.

I put my other hand, my left, through the hole so that the hand is sticking outdoors. Then, I grab the edge of the hole and tug inwardly.

The door doesn't open, despite all of my efforts.

I curse loudly and clearly. What am I doing wrong?

I jam my finger in harder, and try again. Still nothing.

What the hell???????

This should have worked!

I did everything right! Flicked the lock to unlock it, held it in place, and pulled.

Oh my god. I am such a RETARD!

I stick my finger in violently and push open the door.

I am such a moron. _Pulling_ the _push_ door…honestly…

At first I almost think it didn't work. But then, with a noisy annoyed screech, it slides open.

Yes! I really did something right!

Making sure to hold the door open, I glance around behind me. Nothing else, right? Nothing is inside that I need to take with me.

Finally satisfied, I practically fly outside, landing on a corner of my hedge and stabbing myself. Oh yeah…can't forget that little thing now, can I?

I start to walk, edging around my thorny "friend," go through the secret entrance, ignoring the more scrapes I get in the process. Once in the center, I start to dig ferociously.

After several minutes, I touch something hard and flat. There is my suitcase.

It's a rather unassuming piece of junk, but you won't find something more valuable.

I laugh quietly. This dirty, grimy, maroon suitcase easily contains hundreds of thousands of U.S. money at least. The actual suitcase, once a fine handsome enormous 18x36x3 foot piece of leather manufacturing, now costs a dollar if it's lucky. And this little baby holds all of the fruits of my labor.

I start to lift it from its grave, but stop in the middle.

I know I'm going to have to run, there's no question. I certainly can't stay here. But should I take these things with me?

If I do, I'll be set for anything ahead.

No. I cannot risk it. If I get mugged while on the road, and this suitcase is taken…I'll never recover. I'll be reduced to begging, not having the strength to steal.

Not able to steal! For me, that's an awful thought! Where would I be without larceny?

And I'm saving this money anyway. Sighing, I place it back and recover it with damp earth. At least if it's here, then I won't have to worry about anybody finding it. Who's going to go into my thorny old rhododendron, anyway?

But I think again. I don't know. I should probably carry around 300 dollars or so, just in case.

I dig it out yet again, peer inside with pride at the layers upon layers of bills, and take out 6 50 dollar ones.

I stare at my trailer through the tangles of brambles. I guess I'm set.

After much grunting and tugging, I worm myself out of my fortress. Standing up again, and wincing, I look myself over. Aside from my sprained pinky and scratches, I am bruised almost everywhere, and I _wonder_ why I can barely stand. And I'm going to have to walk in this mess. At night, literally adding insult to injury!

I groan, and start to walk, putting the money in my pocket, giving me slight reassurance. Where am I supposed to go?

I mean, I know which way the main town is. I am only about a football field away from it. I could always go to an inn, but I'd prefer not to, as that would get rid of my money supply faster than a racecar. Maybe even two racecars.

So where can I go?

Here – no. I'll be blamed for at least assault. I feel suddenly nauseous, as what I did comes back to me.

Inns and Hotels – I only have 300 bucks! Average – no, _below_ average - hotel rates are way too high for me to afford.

Stay with actual people – How many nice people like that do you find nowadays, anyway?

The streets – Yeah, sure. Get abused and dragged into some alley by some enormous drunken idiots…and I wouldn't be able to fight them off, judging by the state of my body as of now.

Where, then?

I sit down, because my knees were caving in anyway, and I start to think with my eyes closed. Eventually I slip into dreamy meditation, occasionally considering stuff every now and then, although not seriously. My thoughts are just becoming more and more shallow. Maybe a little R&R will help me think, you know?

Just as I am keeling over, I suddenly feel something wiz by me like lightning. I can feel a very thick cloth touch my cheek.

I jump, yelp slightly, and stand up very quickly. I spin 360 degrees quickly, then I do another rotation more slowly so I can scan my surroundings better.

Whew. I don't see anything…

I keep my guard up.

I use my voice, rusty from disuse.

"What are you?"

No response.

I'm surprised how croaky I sound. "Are you the thing that rang my bell?"

Still nothing.

I know I felt something. I know it. So…what is it? What can move that fast?

It's settled.

I don't know where I'm going, but I sure ain't staying and sleeping here.

…Hiei…

I watch her leave at a run. That's definitely her. The green tipped brown hair, the eyes, the build, everything is all there.

I pull out my Commir, and speak into it "Yusuke."

He answers. "What?" He asks excitedly, wincing as he wobbles his neck brace.

I shrug. "Well, that's our girl. I watched her get herself out. Truly amazing, for a ningen. She definitely has the mark of one who has been playing with locks for a long time."

"Is she still there?"

"No. She just left for the town."

There was a minor curse from the other end. "Where in the town?"

"I don't know. I'll follow her."

"Good. And try to get her. I don't care if you can't touch her, just get her here."

The Commir on Yusuke's end switches off, but it's already in my pocket. Stupid bossy ningen!

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A/N Well, there's your connection, reviewers. Kara is needed for something by the gang. But what? Review please I don't care if you hate it, I just want a review or two from you. Flames accepted as always as long as they have what you liked in with it. And be honest, seriously! I don't want you saying you love my story if you don't. And you know how I said Kara looks a lot like me? My What Happened To My Life's main character Katrina is who I want to look like. And that's yet another fun fact.

Well, as I'm done babbling, thank you to all of my reviewers, don't abandon me now!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH…yet.

Chapter 5: Chaos 

I run off, so fast that I surprise myself. I wouldn't have thought I'd be capable of that in my current condition. But I want to get away from the speedy thing back there.

What I know is that I have to get away. All I have to do is watch for the lights in the street lamps in ahead Alken to know the way.

I don't like the feeling of that cloth that touched my cheek. For some reason, it is hanging around my cheek. I can't get that rough material feel off it. It's very weird. And I want it off now.

I start to rub it, but have to stop as soon as I get there. I told you it doesn't take long to get to the town, and I'm a usually a pretty good, fast runner.

Even in the dark, you can tell how quiet and quaint it is. Maybe it's just because it's a Monday and all, but it is still inactive and still more quiet.

I shake my head to clear it. There's still the question of where I sleep tonight.

I sigh, and look at all the quiet homes. They don't know how lucky they are to have a _bed_.

I suddenly hear something whirring up ahead, and recognize it as a big-engined car. I can tell that it's coming straight for me. I get onto the sidewalk really fast, and I can make out something white as it careens past at about 100 mph. I guess it was a car, although my vision isn't the best.

"Jerk." I mutter, as it skids away just as noisily. Was that an old SUV or what? It would have killed me!

I start to walk around. I ask the time of a lady who is holding a pan of boiling hot water.

She says it can't be more than 8 o'clock. I still have at least two hours to search for a temporary haven. And I know where to come back to. The old lady and the Bank.

(Several hours later)

Oh my god! Where can I go??????? I'm at the same spot where I started!

I have been searching for 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 27 seconds, approximately, and there's nothing at all that could help me. Not hotels, not streets, not people, not even a hole in the ground – I'm screwed. What I really need is a hospital or a physiologist to help with my condition.

Now an hour and 57 minutes.

Where can I go? Where?

Not hotels, not houses, not my house, not streets, definitely not alleys – hell, there's not even a cardboard box I could sleep under. This is the first time I've truly hated the cleanliness of the town. The only things I have found are a few quarters. And to add insult to injury, it has begun to rain.

I walk around a little more, and finally, I remember what I should have done hours ago.

I run to the nearest pay phone booth, tripping once in my haste. As soon as I am inside, I slam the doors shut. I press all the numbers in a row, so I can hear the individual sounds. There isn't enough light out to see the actual digits, so I'll have to rely on sound. After a few tries, I slip in two quarters and dial the magic digits – 911 based on the beeps.

"Yes?" Asks the perky operator, picking up instantly. "You have reached the emergency center. Please state your emergency!" You can tell that she just got a fresh manicure and was looking forward to a TV show she wanted to see later. People like that really annoy me. How can anyone be that happy at ten o'clock?

I hurriedly deepen my voice so I won't sound simply like a prank caller. "There's a man who's been attacked in a trailer right outside Alken, New Jersey. I have reason to believe he is intoxicated and dying, if not already dead. Come get him soon."

Her perky mood vanishes completely. "Wha…how do you know this?"

I hang up quickly, and quietly congratulate myself. Looks like I do have a nice streak after all. And I don't think I gave out any personal information, so I should be all right. And my dad may even be all right. They might even cure him of his dependence on alcohol. If that happened, my feelings would be very mixed. I wouldn't be able to steal anymore, but I'd still have someone to talk to, and maybe I'd even get into school. I mean, don't they say that all the homeless people are usually uneducated? I don't want to be a bum. I want school. (A/N she so doesn't know what it's like :p)

Ah, wishes…

I start to whistle, something that is totally uncharacteristic of me, and walk out of the phone booth. My whistle dies as I notice something right outside of the phone booth.

Is that that same car that almost turned me into road kill?

Same white sheen. Same SUV model.

No, I doubt it. Why would the car want to see me?

AH! Could it be a police car, having traced the phone call?

No. If it is in fact the same car, it couldn't have traced me that fast. And I saw it before I made the call anyway. And police car drivers wouldn't be that reckless.

Could they have found out that I am the thief who has a 40,000-dollar reward on her head?

No. I left no clues.

But could I have missed something? Like, another search camera?

No. The cameras are all connected as part of the same system. That is their biggest flaw. Once you know the position of one camera, you can figure out the rest.

But what if they changed it? What if they decided to make it totally random?

My god, is tonight Halloween or something? Did I miss some holiday where you try to freak people out? Cause if it is, people are doing a darn good job.

I start to walk in the opposite direction of the car.

Then, the answer hits me.

Why not hide out in a bank?

That way, I could get more money doing what only I love, and then I could get free shelter!

If someone discovered me, it wouldn't be a big deal, just because I could always escape again! And there are plenty of hiding places in a bank! I know from experience! It's perfect!

And by getting food, I could just sneak out of the bank and get some or take from the cafeteria!

I stop, trying to look for a flaw. If I go in there when I've overlooked something…

Behind me, I hear the quiet movement of a door open and the click of a well-disguised slam of the same one.

I know I shouldn't, but instead of running, I flip around. In the blackness, I can only make a vague shape. Judging by the torso, I'd say it's probably a guy, although one with elbow length hair or a head scarf or something. He also appears to be holding something long and thin.

I squint. _Whip_.

He's holding a _whip_.

Tell me he doesn't have a whip.

I watch, transfixed on the figure. Fortunately, it isn't moving, but I know first hand of how dangerous whips can be. I've seen some whip shows in TV, and a whip in the hands of a skilled professional can be lethal.

And why do I get the feeling that this guy is a skilled professional?

Before I have time to react, I see the right hand, the one with the whip, move. Ever so slightly and quickly.

Just a tiny little wrist flick.

The whip tipvanishes in a second, and I feel something lash my leg like fire. Something digs into my flesh like claws. The pain is intense. But as the whip recoils back to its owner, it seems to shrink slightly, from the point where it hit me.

I inhale through my mouth, and cursing myself, I drop to the ground. My leg has begun to tremble, and I can feel juice sliding down it. It can't be raindrops. It's my blood.

I take a breath shakily and look up into my attacker. He's coming closer. It is a guy. He has long fluffy hair. I can't tell the color of the hair. It could be anywhere from black to blonde.

Gotta get away…

What can I do if I can't walk?

But I can hop, right?

No. I am so bruised from my dad that I am virtually powerless. I can't fight and I can't run. I'm done.

But I can't be done! Not yet! There must be something…anything that can help me!

I grit my teeth. Gotta think…he's getting even closer…

I don't know much martial arts. The thing I used to overpower my dad was just learned from TV street fighting. And I hate to hurt things anyway. It's my main weakness.

As I look at the one who lashed me, I feel an intense hatred. Maybe I'll make an exception, just his once, for this jerk.

I try to stand. I eventually do get up, using my left arm to push myself up. All of my other limbs have been pretty wounded. My right leg and arm were my dad's doing, and the whip took care of the other leg.

Can I pull it off with one arm and possibly one leg?

I can. I have to. I will die if I don't. And who knows what else this guy has planned.

Now he is about two feet away from me. He stops, watching me.

I watch him back, breathing hard. I would just love to drop to the ground and sleep. Heal up all of my wounds.

Is that his whip? Why is it so much smaller? Maybe I didn't imagine its shrinking when it touched me? I brace myself.

Nothing happens, but I hear a little cry of surprise.

It's obvious what's got my attacker in a flap. As soon as I look, I see the brilliant orange glow of the whip. Well, not the whip. The flame on the tip of the whip.

When did that happen?

How did that happen?

If it's raining…

How is his whip staying on fire?

I stare at it. What else could it be?

But it can't be a fire if it's resistant to rain. Right?

Would someone please tell me what is going on here?

But judging from the look on the man's face, lit by the glow of the fire, he doesn't know either. He looks confused, and he is grinding his teeth.

I suddenly come back to my problem. This is my distraction! This is my one chance to get away!

I drop the ground, and start to crawl away. It's a very slow crawl, but my attacker is too distracted with his magical fire. He doesn't notice as I slip away, slowly and painfully.

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I feel something hot in my pocket, almost as hot as the fire on my Rose Whip.

I pick it up. "WHAT????"

"Kurama?" It's Yusuke, of course. The whole nutty ringleader of this operation.

"Listen, do you know how to put out a Spirit Fire?"

"Spirit Fire?"

"YES!!!"

He looks puzzled. "Just submerge it in something hot. You knew that!"

Oh, right. Not thinking straight. I walk over to the old lady with the boiling hot water, and dip my whip into it. She doesn't seem to really notice.

When I take it out, I see the remains of my charred tip of my whip. Oh well. I can always make a new one.

I walk away from her. "What is it?" I ask into my Commir.

"Do you have the girl?"

I look around, and sigh. She's nowhere to be found. Intelligent little thing. She took advantage of my confusion. "No."

"DAMN! Why couldn't the great thief Kurama get the girl?"

I bite my lip. "Well, I acted on your orders. I didn't touch her. I tried to knock her down with my car, but missed. After, I used my whip to lame her, so she'd be easier to capture."

"Yeah, good thinking. And…?"

"The whip turned into a stick of dynamite. It caught flame the second it touched her, even though it did wound her."

Yusuke gets a throb on his forehead. "DAMN YOU KURAMA!"

"Yeah, I know, I know…"

The throb disappears. Yusuke begins ticking off on his fingers. "Hiei – he proved demons don't work with his cloak. You – you just proved that demon weapons don't work. And I can't exactly go out there and catch her myself. And Genkai is too occupied."

"Yes. That only leaves Kuwabara."

Yusuke nods. "I hate trusting that oaf in these situations, but what choice do we have?"

"Right. Send him in fast."

"Yeah. Call Hiei and see if he's found her whereabouts yet. If not, both of you track her. Stay together. We don't know what she's capable of."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good." Says Yusuke, ignoring my comment. "I'll send Kuwabara. Watch out for her."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

I switch it off, as Yusuke is about to yell at me for my attitude.

He doesn't think I can take care of myself.

I can.

I may not be able to touch Kara, but I will get her.

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A/N Anyway, that's Hiei and now Kurama negated. Now we'll just see how Kuwabara does! Kara's capture is all in the hands of an oaf…don't we all feel safe.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH. Thank you all reviewers.

Chapter 6: Escape and Refuge 

I think I lost the guy with the whip. Whew. I can finally rest.

Just relax.

I stop my frantic crawling, and lean up against the nearest stone building. I feel rain sliding down my neck and shirt. It's really uncomfortable.

I sit there for a few seconds, the lowest seconds of my life. I WANT TO DIE. Why is everyone attacking me? What did I do to deserve this? I attacked my dad, sure, but that was in self-defense! What else _could_ I have done? Why are ordinary citizens going out of their way to hurt me?

I shake my head, rub my watery eyes, and start to peel away the leg of my capri away of the whip wound.

The pain is unbelievable, and I have to stop in the process. Finally, I stop, and screw up my courage. I yank it away really fast, and I get a stinging pain, although it doesn't linger. Like they say, better not to draw it out.

I examine the wound. In the darkness, my eyes are pretty much useless. I examine it with my fingers instead.

It hurts slightly, but it feels better now that it has the room to clot, without my pant leg in the way. I run my fingers up and down the hole, and I conclude that it's shaped like a stitch. There is one major cut, and several others branch out from it.

How could that have happened? How could something barely three inches long hurt like such absolute hell?

A realization comes to me. The whip was spiked.

But aren't those illegal?

Yes…it was outlawed over a century ago. The horses were dying before their time, so they outlawed the use of riding spurs and spiked whips. It falls under some clause of the ASPCA.

Why does someone need me so bad that they would even resort to using an illegal weapon?

Why would the even need to? I can't fight now, and I certainly couldn't fight before I met up with Mr. Hair.

Why would they take such a risk, with cops patrolling the streets, hoping to find the thief (me), just to capture a worthless klepto?

It doesn't fit! Why am I so valuable? Who wants to either reach me or capture me? And why so diverse? Why would a speedy thing hit my doorbell and run, and then someone would try to lame me and/or kill me with a car/whip?

I shake my head. If they are somehow connected, and send another reinforcement, I am done. I held out with my dad because I had a weapon, my doorknob. I held out with the car because I heard it before it impacted. I held out with Mr. Hair because he set his own whip on fire.

But I really don't know for sure if they are connected at all. The doorbell was a little weird, but certainly not suspicious.

I doubt he'll make a similar foolish mistake. He'll probably come after me again, once he's recovered.

And I'll be defenseless to stop him.

But what could he possibly want with me?

My money?

No. There's no way he could know. It's in my pocket, and besides, its not enough to risk police capture and a possible assault charge over.

My clothes?

A bloodstained pack of capris and a cheap dollar store shirt? Not likely. I suddenly realize that it wound have been wise to bring a pack of clothes with me. At least I could use something as a bandage.

I suddenly come out of dreams and back to my slash. The bleeding has stopped, but it is still stinging. I think I'll be all right for now. Best to let it heal itself from this point forward.

Can I stand? Before that madman comes after me again?

I try to put weight on my leg by standing slightly.

No good. It is better than before, but still not up to snuff. I can't chance hurting it more.

I could continue to crawl, but crawling with a fractured arm, bruised leg, and bleeding leg is hard enough for a short distance, as I saw first hand, let alone to the bank.

The bank!

When it was last light out, did I not see that I was right near the bank, and that I had wandered in circles? The bank was where I started, right? I couldn't have crawled too far, right?

DAMN! But that guy might still be back there! And I can't go back there. That'd be playing right into his insane hands.

I glance around in the darkness. I notice it has finally stopped raining. That's good.

But what I could really use is a light.

But if I do, the guy will find me.

Great. I'm blind with nowhere in hell to go. Not that I could get anywhere if there was an option anyway…

I sigh, and lay my head back against the wall. Maybe if I sleep it over I'll have healed by morning and I'll finally be all right. Then I could go hide in a bank, right?

I mean, what other options do I have? I could kill myself, crawling around in the dark for a very bleak purpose, or I could damage my leg further by walking on it, and the last option is letting that guy capture me.

All hold prospects I don't want to imagine.

But I have to get out of the open. Mr. Hair could come along at any time.

Against all beliefs (and muscles), I start to crawl. All I need is to find an alley of some sort. I know I said I didn't want to go into an alley, but staying out in the open is even worse. At least this way I could hide in something, and possibly find some much needed resources.

Feeling along the wall, I slither along it, and finally I feel a break in the wall, I turn a 90 degree right, putting my bad arm out in front so I don't run my head into any walls, and continue onward. It turns into a sort of horrible rhythm: I put left leg forward, I put right leg back. Right leg forward, left leg back. It slightly numbs the pain, like biting leather.

Finally, my hand hits solid brick wall, sending a jolt through my hurt elbow, and I can smell garbage around me. This is where I need to be. I can hide from punks and Mr. Hair in this junk.

I make a sharp right, feeling around, and I feel the squishy bags of garbage. Yes!

I pick up one bag with my good arm, and then, checking to see that my bed is squishy enough for a good sleep.

Once I am satisfied, I roll over on my back and drag the bag I am holding over my body for partial cover. I start to drift off instantly.

It may not be sanitary or traditional, but it'll do.

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A beam of sunlight spreads right across my eyes, so that when I open them, I get instant spots.

It was a dream.

I must have fallen asleep in my garden.

When I open my eyes, I'll be at home in my rhododendron.

I open then tentatively, and I am immediately disproved. No way is my shrub this disgusting.

Darn! I thought for a moment this was all false.

I sigh.

The harsh reality of last night comes back to me.

On impulse, I throw off the garbage bag. It would have looked very strange to passerby to see a trash bag launch itself right out of the heap.

Ha. Ha.

Anyway.

I check my leg. It seems to be better. A scab has formed, and that's always a good sign. It's healing the way it should. I'd be in real trouble if it didn't.

All the same, I have never felt so low.

Anyway.

I need a disguise. That guy – maybe he's a stalker. Maybe he already knows everything about my appearance, and the whip wound is also a dead giveaway. I should probably disguise my hair and dress my cut.

And it's all right here, in this dump.

Well, well.

One man's trash _is_ another man's treasure.

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There. I don't have a mirror, but I can tell I look much different.

I found an old shirt in the garbage, and I shredded it up to make a bandage for my legs. And I made rags for both of them, so it will look like something a hobo would wear and not someone who is just trying to hide something on their leg. That would be a dead giveaway.

Sure, neon yellow bandages may look a little strange, not to mention their presence in the trash, but it's better than nothing.

The second thing I have done for a disguise is I spread this black stuff over my hair. It took a while, and I don't know exactly what it is, but I think it now pretty much coats my hair. I guess it looks pretty authentic now. Not to mention I always wanted black hair to begin with.

Now, I look like a regular homeless person with greasy black hair and weird cloth wrapped around my ankles.

Mr. Hair will never find me now.

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A/N Well, review! Thanks everyone, particularly Silverlie, …, and nameless, not to mention my friends. You are so nice!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH!

Chapter 7: Just Blend In 

I peer cautiously both ways. I see no man with long shaggy hair.

I think I can leave now.

I look both ways once again, just to be safe, and I walk out.

Now my mission is to find the bank. I think I'll be able to get in. My leg seems much better, although it's still a little tender. I can walk on it anyway, and that's all I need. My bruised leg feels more or less the same, but my arm seems to have stiffened at the elbow joint, and it twinges when I try to bend it. But I know that that is what is supposed to happen, and it all confirms that it is broken. To heal right, the pieces need to be right near each other, and the result is a kind of joint paralysis. I can deal with that, as it's temporary, for how long I don't know for sure. It depends on how badly it has snapped. I don't need my right arm to get into a bank. I'm left handed, so it worked out well that my left hand is virtually uninjured as of yet.

At least most of the visible wounds are covered in my clothing, and the arm – well, you couldn't tell with the arm unless you actually tried to bend it forcefully.

As I walk out, no one looks twice at me. I guess I am really lucky. Hoboes aren't common around these parts. As I said, Alken is a clean town, and by clean I meant clean of litter and the homeless.

But okay. Now I just need to get to the bank. I know pretty much of where to go. I would catch a bus, but the system is down for a few weeks.

…40 minutes later…

Ugh. I thought it was around here somewhere! I have to worst sense of direction ever!

I stare at the right. The sign reads Jackson's Pottery. I think I went by that place last time I robbed the bank, and so the bank should be up this street.

I bump into someone because I'm not looking ahead. "Sorry." I mutter.

Then I get an idea. I look up into this guy's face, and decide to ask for directions.

It's a guy. He's wearing a baby-blue suit and he has this neon orange hair. Good, I was afraid for a second that he was Mr. Hair.

His face is kind of long and pale, as with all redheads, and he has beady black eyes. Definitely unattractive.

"Um, can you help me find the bank in this city?"

"Konnichiwa. Ki na lauyi?" He has a rough, grating voice.

"What the hell?"

"Oh…" He says slowly. "Umeda." He walks away without another word of mishmash.

What was that language? French, or maybe German?

Oh. It must be Japanese. I think I heard Konnichiwa once on the Japanese channel. I think it means Hello.

I don't care, but I have to get to the bank soon. My legs are starting to get sore.

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I walk into the alley.

"Well?" Asks the Fox-dude.

"Look, Kurama, I thought it was her, but it wasn't. Her hair is not brown or green tipped, and she has no slash on her left leg."

Kurama gets a throb. "And did it ever, _ever_ cross your mind to check _underneath_ the leggings?"

"Uh…" Kurama makes me feel like an idiot. "But she still had black hair!"

"Might that have been dye, you oaf?"

"Uh…"

"Ugh. You are a disgrace. I think that was her."

"Why?"

"Because who else walks around in bloodstained pants? And I can smell her. She was in this very alley a few hours ago. Ugh, come on, I guess I'll have to baby-sit you again. Let's go."

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I've asked several other people for directions since the read-haired Japanese guy, but none feel I'm worth talking to. Most people just assume that hoboes are retarded, so that's one unforeseen way that my costume has messed me up.

But, I still should find some way to get there. I did it once before, and I can do it again.

I just don't know where it is.

I turn and slump down on a park bench just sitting by the road. I pant. I know it's summer and all, but it seems especially hot and humid today. June the 15.

I am just so tired of trying to talk to rude people and find this asshole bank. I am so hot and tired and hungry and frustrated.

Let's think this over. Pure guessing is not working.

Let me see. When I first got to the city, I passed the bank. That, I am sure of. And then, I avoided that car, and jumped on the sidewalk. The sidewalk opposite from the bank. Then, I walked a few hundred feet, and walked into the phone booth, right next to the lady with the hot water. Then, I met Mr. Hair and got a lashing. I crawled some distance and slept.

So, if you figure that all out…

I hit my forehead in agony. If that's all true, and we're just doing approximates here, then I should have made a left out of my alley and walked a few hundred feet and I should have met the bank.

And I went straight.

DAMN!

And I don't even know how to get back to my alley, anyway!

I sigh. If only I had thought about this when I was right in my alley.

But wait. I did, didn't I? I thought about going to the bank but then I figured that Mr. Hair would still be there. How thoughtless! If he was truly looking for me, would he have hung around that same spot, all day and all night?

My god, I don't even know the street that the alley was on.

I stand up again, stretch even though it hurts, and continue onward. This is a pretty small town. It only has about a 5000 population count. And the bank is this big red brick building, so I should have found it by now.

It'd be funny if I actually walking into another town by accident. I'd never find my way home or to the bank I am planning to rob.

Yes. Wonderfully, amazingly funny.

I study the green and white sign.

Maple Street. Sounds kind of familiar…

Suddenly, someone trips me when I am not looking, and I come down hard. Cursing audibly, I crawl over to the side to assess the damage. I see this punk with spiky green hair walk away laughing.

STUPID ASSHOLE! DOES HE KNOW HOW MUCH THAT SIMPLE ACT OF MEANNESS JUST AFFECTED ME?

I look myself over. I don't feel any different, but something happened to my knee. When I try to stand, it's almost impossible, and my leg shakes violently.

DAMN IT! I guess it's time to find another alley.

I think it's around 1 o'clock, and that also means that I haven't eaten anything in about 9 hours. I can really feel it too. My body feels like lead.

I shake my head violently, and crawl into a much shallower alley than the other. It's only about a 10 foot passage. But at least I'll be okay in here.

As soon as I am comfortable among the trash, I start to think things through.

I can pretty much X the bank idea. In this state, I'll be lucky if I even get inside, let alone dodge all of the security cameras. I mean, come on. A trip knee, a bruised leg, a bleeding leg, a broken arm, and one good limb, which knowing me will get injured in the next few seconds? How am I going to get around in this mess?

Stupid punk!

I take a deep, shuddering sigh. Getting food wasn't a problem when I could walk. I certainly had the money to eat fast food for a month.

And now look at me. I'm a total and utter failure.

I refuse to let myself cry. Crying does nothing for anyone. It only puts you in a depression. And I've been there before. Once I got so depressed the only reason I got out of it was because I was starving myself. It wasn't too long ago, so I guess that's why I'm still pretty thin. If I become anorexic again – now – I'll die. I'll slip into obscurity, and no one will know I ever lived.

_I am worthless._

_No one knows who I am._

_I'm just Kara Azhura. Well, technically Sakara Azhura, but it's still a name no one will know._

_A nobody._

_Maybe I don't deserve to live. Maybe I really don't have a purpose._

_I mean, if I did, wouldn't I have found it by now?_

I sigh, and huddle together. I guess I have to go sleep again. I gotta recharge.

_But why? What is the point of my life?_

_Do I…_

_Do I even want to go on?_

_Do I want to live in this world where no one knows my name except for a father who will never care and a mother who will never return?_

_Do I want to live?_

_Do I need to live?_

_Would death be easier?_

_Would it better just to throw it all away? This tangled mess of emotions I call my life?_

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"Kurama, if you're going to be so picky, find her yourself!" I mutter to myself angrily.

The girl is nowhere to be found. I don't know why Kurama is so positive the dark-haired girl is her anyway. He's a crazy bastard, all right. And people call _me_ stupid!

"Kara?" I whisper this every now and then, in hopes she'll come out.

I hope we can find this girl. She seems to be really important to the gang, though no one seems to think that I need to know anything. All I know about her is her physical description. And that girl just was not the girl I was shown to look for. And yet, here I am, taking orders to capture her.

She could really be anywhere. Chances are that she's taken refuge somewhere. Any idiot would.

But then again, if she's as maimed as Kurama says she is, then maybe she's in another alley like the one Kurama said he saw her in.

"Ow…" all this thinking is making my brain hurt. Better just to find her, get her, and be done with it. I also don't get why Kurama and Hiei aren't making an effort to find her. I mean, as long as they're so high-and-mighty, and they know what's going on, they shouldn't put the burden on _me_!

I stop every few feet, looking into the alleys carefully. I don't want to miss her. If I do, she might leave and go to New Hamper. Or whatever Kurama said that state here was called.

It's almost two. Could she really still be in an alley?

I guess.

Only three more to go and I'll have searched all the alleys here. After that, we're going to need a magic wand to catch her at best. I can't believe Hiei didn't just get her when he had the chance. All because he got something on his cloak. And Kurama – Kurama was so stupid as to light his own whip on fire. Moron!

Hey, who's that?

I think I see some legs in the second-to-last alley.

I walk down it cautiously. She's supposed to be dangerous – better take care.

I peer around the trash bags.

Yes, that's definitely the same girl I bumped into.

Good, I'm in luck. She's asleep.

But I want to make sure.

Kurama said he wounded her leg.

Bending down, I carefully pull open the right bandage. Nothing but a nasty purple-ish bruise.

I look under the other one.

Oh god. That's a whip mark all right. And a nasty one too, even for a spiked whip.

"It is you, after all."

This is a mistake. The girl – why do I keep calling her the girl? – Kara wakes up. Or at least opens her eyes.

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I open my eyes wearily. I see that buffoon who knocked into me before standing in front of me just watching me. That's enough to jolt anyone.

I shakily scramble to my feet. "What?" (Pant, pant.)

"Uh…hi. I…am…Kazuma…Kuwabara." He has very slow English.

"What do you want?"

"Are…you…Kara?"

"Why?"

"You get…prize…if you are."

"Uh-huh. Sure. Now let me by." I try to shove past him.

"Are…you Kara?"

"Yes, now lose it!"

"Kara." It's not a question. Then he picks me up and tucks me under his arm, calm as can be.

The same does not hold true for me. "PUT ME DOWN!"

"Don't…make me."

"LET GO!" I try to hit him but only hurt myself.

"Kara…I sorry."

"WHAT? PUT ME DOWN, YOU STUPID IDIOT!" This is probably not a wise thing to say.

I feel something hit me hard over the head, and I black out instantly. That's one powerful fist…

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No one was ever meant to catch the Kara Azhura.

Most didn't even know who she was, let alone try to catch her.

And yet…someone had tracked her down.

No one had ever caught the crafty thief Kara Azhura. And no one ever would.

But someone just did.

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A/N Hoped you liked it! Please Review! I know it's been kinda slow getting to this point, but at least it's finally here!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH, as usual…

Chapter 8: The Shock 

_Kuwabara, of course:_

Is it just me, or is this girl really fat?

I mean, I'm supposed to be strong, at 7 feet tall, but this girl weighs a whole ton.

I feel kind of bad about knocking her out, though. It's like kicking someone when they're down. And that person was down. Her arms and legs were scratched, fractured, bruised, torn, and otherwise mauled. She looked like she'd been through a war.

But I guess my major problem now is people are staring at me. I would too. It looks like I've just killed her. And this Kara girl does look dead.

I turn her over while walking and study her. She's got medium looks, kind of resembling Keiko only with long hair. But the green tips don't suit her at all. That probably takes away from her facial value.

And why am I considering her looks, anyway? She is just a hostage.

Oh. There's the alley where Kurama should be.

I walk in, and find him. I've never seen him looking so freakishly ecstatic when he sees my parcel.

"You found her!"

"So it would seem."

"Lay her down."

"Why? Surely we aren't going to experiment on her, right?"

"No. I just need to see her to make sure."

"I already made sure. She's got that Rose Whip thing in her leg."

"Okay. Just lay her down anyway."

I grudgingly oblige.

He watches her with pride.

I'm silent for a moment. "Um, I don't suppose anyone is going to tell me why she's so important."

"Correct."

"WHY?"

"Because you can't be trusted to handle these kinds of things."

"WHAT? I CAN TOO!"

"You sound like a child. Shut up."

I'm taken instantly aback. Kurama was never like this before.

"All right, all right. But shouldn't we be going?"

He checks his watch. "Yes, you're probably right – for once. Pick her up and let's get out of here."

"No, _you_ pick her up."

"PICK HER UP."

"NO, _YOU_ pick her up."

"Why are you being difficult, Kuwabara?"

"Cuz she is so unbelievably _heavy_!"

"I'm not touching her. I can't. Just do it."

"Why can't you?"

"CUZ I CAN'T! JUST PICK HER UP, YOU APE!"

"Okay, okay…" I lift Miss Bowling Ball Butt in a piggyback position, and follow him out into the sunlight. Less people stare. That's good. Now it only looks like I'm taking her to the hospital.

After a few minutes of Kurama's speedwalk, I run to catch up, jostling Kara.

"You do know there isn't a portal for miles, right? And we can't exactly take a bus."

"I know! I know what I'm doing! Now will you hush?"

I mutter, and he ignores me. I rehoist my charge on my back. It's seriously like carrying a bag of bricks.

"Then what are we doing with her?"

I guess he's fed up. Now he's just ignoring me, with his nose in the air.

"Kurama, you are such a pain."

Silence.

"You think you're so cool."

Silence.

"Stupid pretty boy. You aren't even athletic! Your voice isn't deep!"

He spins around and glares at me. "Just where is this coming from?"

"You ignoring me!"

"Listen, you have to stop your whining. I need to focus on this mission, so I am being short. I apologize in advance for the beating I will undoubtedly do you if you don't shut up."

"What mission? We're capturing a filthy little street urchin!"

At this, Kurama snaps, and whirls around to look me in the eyes. "This – girl – is – the – most – important – thing – we – will – ever – find – in – our –lives."

"I don't suppose you're about to tell me why?"

"Correct."

Great, I'm right back where I started.

Oh well, maybe Yusuke will know something.

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Finally, after I'm ready to die, Kurama and I reach this shabby little shack far from town. It's actually very close to Kara's house, which we searched already. It's made of wood, and very cheap stuff. There's no windows, except for a lopsided mud-brown door, which we enter through.

"Are we stopping here?"

"Just do what I do!"

Ugh, he's cranky again. Better shut up. I don't want a taste of that Rose Whip. Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't snap this girl's leg in two. This _heavy_ girl.

We enter, and I see no one is there.

"Perfect." Mutters Kurama.

"Where are we?"

"This little area Yukina made. Below this mess is our headquarters." He gestures around at the empty beer cans that litter the floor. "No human in their right mind would come and stay here. There's not even a piece of furniture. We'll meet Hiei here later."

"What do you mean, below? There's nothing to suggest anything's underneath."

"That's the idea, you oaf! We don't want anyone finding us, right?"

"I guess. But let's just get there."

Kurama crosses the room. From there he picks up the beer cans in a sequence. I notice that they are all lined up neatly on each side of the room. I see. He lifts one, puts it back, and goes for a random – or seemingly random – can on the other side. I wonder what he's doing.

Finally, he picks and sets the final one, and something dramatic happens.

The floor in between the cans suddenly turns on its side, dropping Kurama down miles.

Just before he falls, Kurama waves for me to come too.

He's crazy. Mad. The whole lot of the people I hang around. Koenma, Yusuke, Yukina, and whoever else. Oh yeah, Shorty. All completely insane. And I'm stupid enough to hang around 'em.

I walk over, wincing at Kara's weight, and look down. There's nothing but darkness. I guess I do have to jump.

It's like diving. Just like diving.

I hold my breath for no reason, probably just because of the diving analogy, and jump.

I fall for what seems like hours.

Then, with my spirit awareness picks up something radiating from my hostage.

Spirit Energy?

Suddenly, I hit the ground hard, totally breaking my concentration. I drop Kara somewhere before I hit. My god, if this keeps up, I'll look just like Kara when I get out of here. If I get out of here.

Something raps me hard over the head.

Oh. It's Hiei. I see the remains of his fire dragon uncoil Kara's still body and disappear, dropping her on the ground.

"Baka. What were you thinking, dropping it?" Kara is the 'it' here, I guess.

I stand up shakily, and start yelling. "YOU IDIOT! YOU SAVE THE GIRL AND LEAVE ME TO FALL AND BREAK MY NECK! AND WHAT'D YOU DO TO HER? BURN HER UP?"

"Shut it. You didn't break your neck because of the girl. Her energy cushioned you. And of course she isn't dead, she's just like she's always been! My dragon prevented her from breaking her neck."

"What energy of _hers_ saved _me_? That couldn't have been Spirit Energy! And if she was doing all right on her own with her "powers" why did you need the dragon to help her out?"

"Just in case," he says evasively. "As for her energy – it might have been nothing at all. Who cares? Let's just go. And carry her."

"Oh, are you too delicate?"

"No, I just can't touch her. Like everyone else. That's why you were called into this."

"But – why can only I touch her?"

He's silent; he only walks on.

Damn, I wish I had a light.

I pick up the girl, and continue onward.

Hiei is quiet, like always. He only says that we are getting there every now and then, as if afraid I'm about to start complaining about how badly my feet hurt. I hate it how he looks down on me!

Oh well. Bitchy evil midgets will be bitchy evil midgets.

As I walk onward, I notice a faint beam of light. Good. That'll signal the end of the tunnel, or so I hope.

Again, getting off topic. Just focus on getting there. I grit my teeth and put on a spurt of speed, and I make it there faster than I thought I would.

Hiei is right behind me.

I look around at the room in front of me. It's like a hospital extension. Bright white everything. It makes my eyes hurt. It has a glass dome with a cushion in the center, as well as 3 desks and swivel chairs. The walls and floor are tiled in a bright white.

Hiei comes around behind me and watches me. "Well, this is where the ningen is staying."

"Why here?"

"Because we wanted you to ask such stupid questions." He says very sarcastically.

"It's not stupid! And it looks like a pediatric office!"

"Ooooh, big word."

"SHADDUP! I kinda imagined a dungeon, for obvious reasons. And where the hell is Kurama?"

"He'll come around soon. You don't need to know where he went, you buffoon. For now, just put her in that cage over there."

"Cage?"

"IDIOT. The CAGE."

"Oh." I see a glass box over in the far corner that I didn't notice before. "You mean the glass box?"

Hiei slaps his forehead in frustration. "I don't know, you tell me." He moves closer to it.

"Yes?"

"Wow, and that takes you to an IQ of 3 and a half! _Get_ _over_ _here_, and put her in!"

I walk over. "I don't see a door."

"Of course you don't. It's only visible to people who have an intelligence."

"Hiei, I'm warning you…"

"Or you'll what?" He asks coolly. "Here…" He goes over to a plate in the wall. The wall seems to be made up if these entirely immobile tiles.

But the one he touches with only a finger presses itself in with ease. It wriggles through the gap, and a panel just melts into place in its spot. I watch in amazement as Hiei types in a 6 letter code with the alphabet buttons, and then I finally see something happen in the cage. The front of it molds away, and as little as I know about science, I know that isn't supposed to happen. But then, anything can happen here, right? And what is with the melting stuff, anyway?

"Well, what's the matter?" Put her in!"

"All right, all right…" I take her off my back (whew!) and throw her in gently. I'm glad there's at least a cushion. I don't want her to be in any more pain than she already has been through.

As soon as she is in, the door melts back into its original spot.

Okay. Gotta pick my words carefully if I'm going to get any information.

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

"So…"

"So what?"

"Can I go now?"

"No."

"Why?"

"You might be needed later."

"Why?"

"Nothing a buffoon like you needs to know.

"Hiei, I won't ask anything too specific, as you seem to be mentally incapable of answering." I say nastily. "But how long is she staying here?"

"As long as necessary."

"Which is…" I wave my hands circularly.

"YOU IDIOT! What would be apparent to most ningen imbeciles just slips right by you! Jeez, you are so friggin' slow sometimes! Until someone from the Spirit World comes to pick us up, we stay here and monitor her behavior!"

I sigh. "And how long will it take for them to pick us up?"

"It'll be at least a few weeks to a month. The other hideout isn't safe as of now."

"Which means…Oh no. Oh NO!. I'm going to be stuck with you for at least a few weeks!"

The same thought seems to have struck Hiei. "No…no, this cannot be happening!" He uncharacteristically holds his head in his hands. He walks and sits down on a chair in front of a desk.

I crack my knuckles for show. Heh heh heh. I'll be able to squeeze every drop of information out of Shorty in a few weeks. Piece of cake.

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A/N That was kinda weird, I know, but review anyway!

And I wanted to know who wants to join the Kurama x Hiei Flame Club. I'm advertising for the author Jak Stark and his chairwoman RebelWriter. It's basically where you must flame any stories where Kurama and Hiei go way off the deep end, and have kids or something randomly weird like that. You can ask Jak Stark for details.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH, as per usual.

Linkin Park Rox- Well, thanks for everything, and everyone else who was so supportive. (RebelWriter Particularly)

**Chapter 9: Realization**

I open my eyes. Was the sun always that bright?

Was the entire _alley_ always this bright?

No, it couldn't have been…

I shoot up and open my eyes. I realize I'm not with my trash bags either, or should I say my kin.

I suddenly remember a huge ugly redhead…

The reality comes back with this hospital vision lying before my eyes.

_I was caught._

But how could I have been caught? How?

This is me we're talking about here!

Wasn't I infamous for escaping from every situation that was stupid enough to challenge me, the great Kara Azhura?

Not in that state I was in. No one, not even Jackie Chan, could resist capture while that beaten up.

I suddenly come back to reality. If someone caught me, where have they taken me?

There doesn't appear to be anyone in here. I see a dark tunnel leading outside, which must eventually come back to the surface. Maybe I could get through there.

I sit up farther, and look around. Maybe I could just escape while that teenage captor of mine is gone. Stupid of him to leave me lying here on a cushion.

I stand up, and hit my head on something, hurting my twisted knee indirectly. I curse and look up. It's a huge florescent light. That's where all the brightness came from. I walk toward the edge of the cushion and run into something again.

This time I fall down on my butt and almost cry out of frustration.

In an utter rage, I stretch out my only good arm.

I feel something.

It must be that new invisible glass product. Supposed to be a rich people accessory.

I feel around in an exact circumference.

Then, I feel up and down as well.

The horrible truth takes a moment to set in to my tired brain.

_I'm totally boxed in._

Or, domed in if you want the proper term. The light bulb that I hit is at the very top of a 2 yard cage.

_Cage._

All my life I have hated cages. I may be claustrophobic, who knows. But I can't stay in here.

Well, if it really is glass, then I'll be able to break it, right?

I rap it hard. Nothing happens. I get the funniest feeling that it isn't glass at all.

I hit it hard, but only get a stinging pain in my hand. Seconds later it starts to swell, for I have always been a huge sweller.

I stare at it in disgust as it starts to change color. Gross.

And that's the last of my five limbs gone, if you count my head. My right leg : bruised. My left : lashed to bleeding. My left arm : broken most likely. My right : swollen hand. My head : aching where I hit it. And you can't forget my twisted knee.

I lay back.

I'm going to die.

If no one helps me fast, I'm going to die.

Either my wounds or my captors are going to be the death of me yet.

I want to die.

No. Maybe just insanity would be better. I mean, if you're insane, you lose the ability to feel pain. You are shut off from the world. You no longer have to suffer through pain that you know will never end.

But insanity is hereditary. There's no way I could make myself go insane.

But, I could kill myself.

I could just hit myself in the perfect spot on my neck or my head.

Yes. That's what I'll do. I won't give my kidnappers the pleasure the torturing me for information or whatever. I'll totally foil their plan.

I sink into even more morbid thoughts. Death is the coward's way out, true, but it must be better than life. I mean, it certainly can't get any worse.

How bad could death be? One little nick…I won't feel a thing.

But how to do a suicide?

I was thinking of hitting myself with my arm, but both my arms are now incapacitated. Damn!

I guess I have to wait for my body to heal before I'll be strong enough.

But what's the point of that? Healing just to die?

I don't know anymore. I just know that killing myself is my last option, and I can only do so by waiting for my body to heal.

But maybe if I escaped I wouldn't have to kill myself.

I start searching the walls thoroughly. If I can find even one weak point I just might be able tot ake advantage of that and get free.

Suicide will have to wait.

As I search, it becomes my new goal to break free so I can die.

Morbid goal, but it keeps my strength up.

Finally, I hear something down the dark passage. I listen closely.

"Hiei! You don't hafta follow me! I'm just getting some food for that girl in there!"

"Ooooh do we have a little crush here? And did I not tell you already that there's food for her in there?"

"Yes, you did, but when you refused to show it to me, I figured you were just playing me, and I was right. There is not food in there!"

"That's where you're wrong, Kuwabara. She gets her nutrients through the light bulb. Something my sister dreamt up."

My god, are these tow obvious buffoons my captors?

They continue to argue, until finally I hear them come in. I instantly drop to the cushion and pretend to be asleep. I'll hear more.

"Hiei, I'm going to hit you if you don't stop whining!"

"You and what army? And you're the whiner of the two of us."

The rough voiced one is silent, seemingly at a loss for a comeback. I would be too. The one referred to as "Hiei" definitely has the upper hand.

Finally, I hear something being lifted. A loud scraping sound is made, and "Kuwabara" says, "Hiei, put the chair down. C'mon, put it down. I'll fight you."

An insane note is in Hiei's voice. "Die, NINGEN!"

"DON'T make me hit you!"

"OR WHAT?"

I recognize that they aren't going to say anything important, and I pretend to wake up from all the racket. I rub my eyes for effect, and I watch.

The tall red-haired guy notices me out of the corner of his eye, and looks over, which proves to be a big mistake on his part. A smaller guy with spiky dark hair and a white bandana brings the mentioned chair over his head.

As soon as the red-haired guy is down, the little guy stomps on him. The redhead can be hear saying "her…"

"Her?" He asks. He looks at me and freezes. I notice tiny red eyes.

I mutter, quite audibly, that I think he's won.

"Why…why of course I have! I'm not _really_ hurting Kuwabara here, right?" He grins fakely, and helps Kuwabara up. He has the look of a kid who has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Of course not!" Says Kuwabara stoutly, standing up. He tries to hide all of the bruises that now litter his head area.

"Um…I guess you're Hiei, then?" I ask to the black-haired one.

"Uh…yeah."

"Okay."

I suddenly notice this Kuwabara punk was the one who dragged me out of my alley. _Why didn't I recognize him before?_

"So…Kuwabara, is it?"

"Yes."

I take a deep breath. "WHO THE F- DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, DRAGGING ME OUT OF MY COMFORTABLE LITTLE TRASH BAGS, ANYWAY? WHY THE HELL HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME HERE? YOU HAVE SOME NERVE, YOU TWO BASTARDS! DRAGGING AN URCHIN IN HERE! WHY HAVE YOU BEEN STALKING ME? WHY HAVE YOU NOT LEFT ME ALONE? ARE YOU COPS? HAVE YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT MY DAD OR SOMETHING? I DON'T CARE! DO YOU HEAR ME? I – DON'T – CARE! GOT IT? LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW!"

They both look stunned, and I pant slightly. I'm a little disappointed that my shout didn't at least break my prison.

"Um…" Begins the Hiei person.

"UM WHAT?"

"Listen, girl…" says Kuwabara.

"NO! YOU LISTEN! LEMME OUT OF THIS CAGE RIGHT NOW OR I JUST MIGHT BREAK IT DOWN!"

Now they both look nervous.

"NOT KIDDING!"

"Okay, okay…now just see here. You are needed by us for your bizarre strengths." Says Kuwabara.

"What strengths? Stealing? Cuz that's not a strength, it's a talent! Which neither of you have."

I think that got Hiei mad, for he turns all red.

"Kara, listen up! You'll be able to help a lot of people if you just cooperate!"

I swear my eyes bulge. "HOW AM I GOING TO HELP PEOPLE IF I'M IN A LITTLE GLASS EMPORIUM?"

"You'd be out of there by now if you showed a willingness to cooperate."

"I'M NOT COOPERATING WITH A BUNCH OF SADISTIC KIDNAPPING BUFFOONS!"

"I'm not a sadist." Says Kuwabara. "He is, though, you want to watch out for him." At this, Hiei goes back to his old game of hitting Kuwabara with the chair, also getting quite dented through it's participation in the war.

"YO! I HAVEN'T FINISHED YELLING AT YOU!"

Hiei stops and stares at me. It's pretty funny. I don't think anyone's ever said that to him in his life. Kuwabara also stands up.

"No ningen tells me what to do." Growls Hiei.

I mishear, and stand up in a flash, pressing my face against the glass. "WHO'S A NIGGER?"

Kuwabara's mouth drops open. "NINGEN! NIN-GEN! NOT THE N-WORD!"

"Oh."

They both seem immensely relieved that I am not going to kill them anymore. And I should be more courteous. Once they trust me, I'll be able to slip right by before they'll know what hit them.

"So why am I here again?"

"You have a special ability other ningens do not possess."

"You know, what the hell is a ningen anyway?"

"It's a mean word for a-"

What it is, I never find out. Kuwabara, the speaker, is distracted by something outside. I think I hear footsteps.

After a long pause, a person with very long red hair comes in.

I think it's a guy. He is wearing pink clothes, which clash horribly with his hair, and he has eyes like emeralds. He is also very tall.

Could he be…Mr. Hair?

No. Mr. Hair had a whip, and you can't exactly hide one of those on you.

But could he have hidden it somewhere else?

IT IS MR. HAIR!

"MR. HAIR!" I scream.

He looks shocked.

"WHY DID YOU WHIP MY LEG?"

"Uh…"

"WHY? I KNOW IT'S YOU! DON'T LIE TO ME! WHY DID YOU HURT ME?"

"Who the hell is Mr. Hair?"

"YOUUUUUUUU!"

"Me? A whip?"

"YES, YOU, A WHIP!"

"I don't have a whip…"

Well, he does look kind of innocent, but…"YOU MUST BE! IT WOULD MAKE SO MUCH SENSE!"

"It's not me."

I pant against the glass wall. "YOU HAVE TO BEEE!"

I recoils, and I finally have to accept it. My attacker would not back away from a caged girl.

"Damn…" I mutter.

The red-haired guy just watches me as if I'm a bomb, and then he takes Hiei's a Kuwabara's arms and drags them away down the tunnel.

I watch in shock, and then I pass out onto my cushion.

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"Hiei, you idiot, why haven't you healed her yet?"

"How could I have?"

"Uh…"

"Listen, what I mean to say is that it's not fair to hound all over me for it. This idiot here…" He jerks his head at Kuwabara, "was having a problem adjusting to your absence. He had us go look for you, and of course that took any healing time out. And we don't know how strong she is yet. We must keep her weak until we know if she can escape or not, in which case only Kuwabara will be able to stop her, which is in turn not very reassuring at all. He seems to have problems feeding himself, let alone following instructions."

"HEY! I DO NOT! AND WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, SHORTY?"

"Shut up! We don't want her to hear us talking about her, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, O Almighty Midget Dude. I wish you'd stop harping on me already. It's driving me crazy."

"Are you saying that you weren't already?"

Kuwabara turns to Kurama. "See what I mean? He insults me whenever he can! Make him stop!"

"You sound like a two-year-old. Quiet already. We need to get communications to Yusuke as soon as possible. If we don't get the girl up there fast, it's the Spirit World that's going to suffer along with Yusuke."

"I still can't believe he got his butt kicked. I mean, he defeated Tigoro. TIGURO. It's unbelievable how he lost to a –"

"SHUT UP!" hisses Kurama. "I thought we agreed we weren't going to discuss this while still out in the open!"

"All right," mutters Kuwabara. "I was just clarifying how pathetic that fight was. I don't even get why he lost."

Kurama shakes his head. "I'll try later. You just watch the subject."

"All right, Kurama, I got it."

"Me too." Says Kuwabara.

They both turn back into the lab.

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"Who's Yusuke?" I ask loudly when I hear them come in.

"No one." They say in unison very quickly.

"No one who?"

"Quiet."

"Why did Yusuke get his butt kicked, and by who?"

"He didn't get his butt kicked. We were practicing our…uh…May Fool jokes." Says Kuwabara.

"It's an _April_ Fool joke, retard. But why practice April Fools jokes in the summer?"

There is a very sustained angry silence.

"And why do you pick on Kuwabara, Hiei?"

Hiei stiffens and stares at me. "I don't. You heard a completely biased side of the story."

"But Kurama seems to agree. Kurama is that red-haired guy, right? Mr. Hair lookalike?"

"Yeah, whoever Mr. Hair is, and Kurama's opinion doesn't count."

"Why not? He seems intelligent."

"Kurama is a bisexual."

I'm surprised. "You don't _like_ bis?"

"It's not bis I have anything against."

"Yeah," pipes up Kuwabara. "Kurama just freaks him out. Hiei assumes that Kurama is all vague like that because he's a bi. Our Hiei here ain't too bright."

Hiei ducks the arm that was about to pat his head.

_Isn't Kuwabara here one to talk?_ "Uh…right. So Hiei is afraid of Kurama because he's a bi?"

"_No_, it's just because Hiei thinks Kurama's all collected because he's a bi."

"So, if Kurama is a bi, Hiei thinks that makes him collected?"

"Yeah, I…think."

"He doesn't like collected people?"

"Um…I guess. Hang on…"

I press on relentlessly. "So, he doesn't like himself? Hiei here is pretty collected."

"I dunno. Hiei, do you have a grudge against yourself?" Kuwabara asks vaguely.

"NO, I am happy to say that I don't."

"But if you don't like collected people, and you are collected, then you don't like yourself, am I right?" I say quickly. Keep him reeling.

"No, its just Kurama that freaks me out!" Oh. A little anger there.

"But Kurama would not freak you out if he was not a bi, correct?" I begin my interrogation.

"No, it's just his calmness."

"And you blame his calmness on being a bi, correct?"

"Um…yes? Bis are very calm, but Kurama takes it the extreme."

"So then, you assume calm people must be bis, right?"

"Wait a minute…"

"So then, using Kuwabara's perspective, we can determine that you are calm, correct?"

"Yeah, he is." Says Kuwabara.

"So, once again using the laws of logic, we can determine that Hiei is a bi."

Hiei's mouth drops open. "I AM SO STRAIGHT! STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW! STRAIGHT AS A PENCIL! STRAIGHT AS A…A…"

"I don't think you are." I say shrewdly. "You think Kurama's calmness is a result of his bi-ness. You then said that holds true for all bis – their calmness. So then, you are a very calm person. Kuwabara agrees. Then, using your own twisted logic, we can determine that you are also a bi because you're calm. And that also means that you don't like yourself, because bis freak you out."

Hiei looks ready to kill himself. He keeps whispering, "…flawless…flawless…" trying to find a hole in my plan. He walks over to a desk, and lays his head on it, shaking it side to side slowly.

That's the idea. There is no flaw. Once I was talking to this little street beggar, trying to find out if she smoked crack or not because I was bored, and I used the same methods and got it out of her. Later, she told me that when it came to the laws of logic, I was the master.

But the reason I'm using it this time is purely for business purposes. If I can make my kidnappers start doubting themselves, they may go crazy enough to let me right out.

Okay. Now for Kuwabara. One down, one to go.

"Kuwabara, do you have a girlfriend?"

He stares. "Why?"

"Just wondered."

"It's his little sister." Kuwabara points at Hiei, or what's left of Hiei.

At this, though, Hiei stands directly up. "Yes, and I'll break you two up yet!"

"Yeah…right. You're too worried about her. You don't want to hurt her, and breaking us up would hurt her."

Hiei smolders.

Hm. So far I haven't encountered any flaws with Kuwabara. Better probe deeper.

"What do you fear most in the world, Kuwabara?"

He blushes for some reason. "Um…"

"It's kitties." Says Hiei instantly, and gets hit hard over the head by Kuwabara. But then – Hiei isn't there.

I see him reappear on the other side of the room.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Okay." He'll tell me one day, I'll see to it.

"Now, Kuwabara, you fear kittens?"

"No…" He goes redder. "I fear them being in pain."

"Yes," says Hiei curtly, "He'd probably kill himself if he let one die of something other than natural causes."

"HIEI!"

"Well, it's true, right?"

Kuwabara is silent.

"Who do you love more, kittens or Hiei's little sister?"

"Let me tell you about Yukina. That's her name. She has the loveliest aqua-colored hair, the sweetest personality, and I love her because-"

"-Because she's the only girl you'll ever meet in your lifetime who'd want to go out with you."

"HIEI!"

"Oh get over it. At least it shut you up about how wonderful she is. Talk about your kittens."

"Ah…kittens. Fuzzy and cuddly and warm and soft and always nice and happy-"

"And oh-so-adorable." Finishes Hiei in a high voice. "I must have heard that speech 1000 times."

"Shut up, you bi!" Yells Kuwabara.

At this Hiei recoils. I can't tell for a moment if he's going to hit Kuwabara or cry.

But fortunately for us all, he simply gives Kuwabara one upside the head.

Kuwabara faints.

Hiei watches him in disgust. Then he goes over to his desk and puts his head in his hands. He doesn't answer any more of my questions. He just lays there. I think he would have crawled under a rock if one had been big enough.

When I am sure he's asleep, I measure their crazy levels. It's highly inaccurate but fun. Within a few weeks, Hiei should go mad, so it'll be crucial to get him to free me before he's totally lost it. And as for Kuwabara – he's very flexible. It's a lot harder to bend open-minded people to your insane touch.

But Hiei seems immeasurably smarter, and if I can make him crazy, I probably won't need Kuwabara, sane or insane.

But Kuwabara is certainly much stronger.

But Hiei seems to have powers. What was that teleporting thing, anyway?

I don't know. But once I make him go completely insane, I'll have all the answers I want – and my freedom.

I settle back on my cushion and sleep.

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A/N Long chapter, huh? I'm now trying to make them all 6 pages like this one, but it's hard… review and make me feel better!

And you know what sucks totally and completely? I found out a few months ago that Kurama is a bisexual, and that he's meant to end up with Hiei! That's why he tries to look like a girl! But the thing is, it wasn't meant to be! Hiei is straight, (I'm pretty sure), and Kurama just doesn't seem like a bi in the way he talks to guys vs. girls! It just wasn't meant to happen! That is why I hate yaoi stories between Kurama and Hiei! It just wasn't meant to happen!

At least, in _my _world it wasn't meant to be…AND IN MY WORLD I CONTROL EVERYTHING! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Um, just review, and lave me to my hyperactivity already. You probably want no more of my blah-blah. Oh, wait.

**This was not meant to offend any bisexuals, as are any other chapters. It was just meant lightly in a humorous way. I have nothing against bisexuals at all. I know a girl who is a bisexual, well, not know her, but I know her name, and she's all right.**

_**I REPEAT, THIS WAS JUST MEANT LIGHTLY!**_


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH. Jeez, it's FanFiction! What did you expect?

Chapter 10: The Hard Truth 

As I wake up, I realize that my left arm can move again. It's no longer stiff and bony. I think it may be 90 percent healed.

I begin to flex it as I sit up. Yeah…it feels exactly as it did before the break.

But as for the rest of me, my bruised leg has started to heal. It's no longer purple but a shade of brown, which is how a bruise should look like. The same with the base of my palm.

But my cut looks, if anything, worse. I hope that foul spiked whip hasn't infected it. I mean, suppose that had the AIDS virus on it or something? Maybe I'm coming down with something…

I sit up completely and look out of my glass cage. My captors are still asleep in their previous positions. All good.

A thought occurs to me. I can't let them know how much I'm healing. I'm going to have to play the doom and gloom until they let me out, at which point I'll be completely healthy and escape easily!

But I have bigger problems. I am really, really hungry (I haven't eaten for at least 36 hours), and I have to pee badly. There is no way either of these things are getting done while I'm stuck in here, that's for sure.

I take a huge breath. "HIEI AND KUWABARA! YOU AREN'T BEING VERY GOOD KIDNAPPERS! I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S UNBLIEVABLE WHAT JERKS YOU TWO ARE, AND GOOD-FOR-NOTHINGS TOO! YOU AREN'T TAKING CARE OF-" Oh good. They're awake. Not that anything could sleep through that racket.

It is Hiei who talks; Kuwabara is rubbing his eyes. "God, what's the matter? That gave me ringing in my ears!"

"Same here…"mutters Kuwabara.

"I'M HUNGRY AND I NEED A BATHROOM NOW!"

Hiei makes a face, and starts to talk to Kuwabara.

(Kuwabara and Hiei's whispered conversation)

"Well, you're a ningen like her, what do we do?"

"Feed her!" Kuwabara hisses.

"What about the other order? We were given instructions to take care of it…"

"It's a her, not an it! And I have no idea what we're going to do! I'm not used to being around girls…maybe Kurama will know something."

"But as Kurama is in the Spirit World, we're going to have to figure this out on our own!"

"And I don't know how!" snaps Kuwabara.

"Neither do I!"

There is a very angry pause.

"We could," begins Kuwabara, "let her out of her cage."

"NO WAY! We still don't know the full extent of her abilities. We can't take the chance!"

"Hiei, in case you didn't know, when a human has to pee, it can only wait so long! And we don't want her living in her waste, right?"

"Yeah…god, this is awkward."

"I know, believe me."

Hiei says, "Well, I guess we could let it out for a second – if it's only to pee, then it's okay, right?"

"Right."

(Back to Kara)

"Where is the Spirit World? Is that heaven or something? Your code for headquarters, in other words?"

"You know, your listening in on conversations that don't concern you gets old fast. And…of course it's a code."

I shrug it off. "But it gives me so many rewards. And is it _my _fault I have bat hearing? But are you really going to let me out of my cage to pee?"

"It's our only option for now. We'll someday build you a chute where you can do your thing…"

They are both very red.

I look back and forth impatiently. "Well? Can I go now?"

"I guess…" Hiei walks over, strokes a tile, presses buttons on a code box and the front half of my prison melts away.

"Come." Hiei grabs my wrist roughly and leads me out into the dark tunnel.

Once inside of it, we walk a few feet and he shows me a door inside. I can make out a little handle on the left.

"Okay. I guess you know how to use a toilet, so I won't go into details. There's a light switch to your right when you go in. And you won't be able to escape because I'll be here the whole time." He smirks. I'm all right though. I wasn't expecting any flaws in the beginning.

I open the door with a creak, go inside, and shut it quickly.

I flick the light and use the toilet, but I don't flush it. He needs to think that I'm still here.

I look around frantically. It's a total box. There's no openings except for the door, which was guarded last time I checked.

There must be something here that can help me later!

I glance. There's the toilet. I doubt anything there will be useful in any way. There's the toilet paper – forget it.

There are also some peeling tiles on the walls, revealing metal framework around it.

There's my ticket.

I peel away one tile completely, and I expose some metal things behind it.

Also known as lock picks.

Don't know what I'll use the for, but it's something.

The door bangs. "Hurry up in there!"

"All right, just a sec!" I shout.

I maneuver the wire around itself, and eventually come up with a perfectly shaped wire rod. With a slight Karate chop, I free it from the rest of the wire mesh and bend it into a shape that cannot be named but can be fit into my pocket.

I flush the toilet quickly, as Hiei seems ready to break the door down, and open it with another screechy creak.

Hiei glares at me and leads me back to the cage.

He throws me on the pillow quite hard, and I notice Kuwabara in the corner.

"What's he doing?"

Hiei doesn't answer; he only looks pointedly.

Finally, Kuwabara spins around. He has simply bread and cheese. The cheese is in all uneven strips, and the knife on the desk that he was working at shows that he cut it himself.

"What's this? Just bread and cheese? I wanted a gourmet meal!" I need to see how much whining they'll take. I just might be able to drive them crazy if they whine enough. But it's important to experiment in the event that they'd kill me.

"Look, _darling, _I'm getting tired of your attitude. Whoever expects the kidnapped to get treated nicely?" Asks Kuwabara in a deranged sort of way.

"Maybe the kidnapped does, you ever think of that?"

"Who cares what the kidnapped thinks anyway? I certainly don't. I think, if anything, that you should shut your mouth. Quieter people are more popular."

"But you do know that I have to exercise my voice?" It's true. My voice, now used so often, is losing its original rusty creak that I hated. Now I sound cigarette free again. Not that I ever tried cigarettes, but that's just how I talked/

"No…"

"And I'm not campaigning for your support anyway. Who cares what the _kidnapper_ thinks?"

"Um…well, technically, according to the movie Captured…wait a sec. Just eat your food! I don't care if it isn't gourmet style!"

Hiei, who has been completely and utterly silent in a sulky way, pipes up, "Kuwabara, do you only understand kidnapping and the kind of effort involved by watching movies?"

"How else could I know it? I never done this before, and I don't feel too great about it now that I've started."

"Please, you baby. Sometimes you have to fight dirty."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it! I still don't know why we need her!"

"Kara, this is why I am so hostile. I'm so used to being around this utter moron."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MORON, SHORTY?"

"Please, Kuwabara. That name gets so old. You need to get with the times. Start calling me something meaner."

"Okay, you oaf!"

"Uh-uh. Not going to cut it. You are so outdated, you idiot."

"Oh really, you idiot?"

"Wrong again. You can't use the same insult twice."

"Oh you can't, you cotton-head?"

Hiei stares at him in abject horror coupled with annoyance. "You are the biggest animal ever."

He looks offended – more so then when I tried to embarrass him. Perfect.

"Yeah, you are, Kuwabara." I say loudly.

Kuwabara looks sideways quite terrifyingly at me, and stares. "I am not…"

"Yeah you are." This is my opportunity to make him snap. I already know how to bend Hiei.

"I AM NOT!"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because…because…I can do math and stuff!"

"And yet you 3 out of 100 percent on your tests." Says Hiei slowly, with a look of dawning comprehension.

"And Kuwabara, no offense, but you aren't too bright." I say.

"Says who? I'll knock 'em dead!"

"Never mind that. Look at you. You are way too tall to be a human. And your antisocial tendencies show us that you don't do well with most other humans. And as for your brains, well, look at how small your head is." I say loudly.

Kuwabara feels his head. "I don't think so…"

"Yes, it is, Kuwabara." Says Hiei, eyes glinting malevolently.

"Kuwabara, it's hard for me to say it, but you can only be an ape."

"WHAT!"

"What do you mean, what? Monkeys don't get along with most humans, like you. There is no other 14 year old alive that is 7 feet tall, except for the giant gorilla. And you have the intelligence of one too. Most gorillas can do math at the level you can." Hiei has immensely enjoyed saying this.

"But my parents are humans through and through!"

"They could've adopted you." I say.

"But…I don't have hair!"

"Yes you do. What do you call that mop on top of your head?" Says Hiei.

Kuwabara feels it. "It's hair all right. But I can prove you wrong. I don't have full body hair."

"Yes you do." Says Hiei.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do. Look!" Repeats Hiei.

Hiei grabs Kuwabara's arm and points out some very fine hairs that everyone has.

Kuwabara inhales shakily. "Am I…really…a gorilla?"

"You look like one to me." I say.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Hiei also looks scared. If I weren't caged, then I would have backed away.

"HOW COULD MY PARENTS LIE TO ME ALL THESE YEARS! I WASN'T BORN IN TOKYO! I WAS BORN IN UGANDAAAAAAAAA! HOW COULD THEY THINK HIDING THE AWFUL TRUTH WOULD HELP ME? HOW COULD THEY?"

"Um…" Hiei and I begin together.

"SHADDUP! JUST LEAVE MY DAMAGED EGO ALONE!"

Without warning, he runs out the door into the tunnel. He looks close to tears.

Okay, that was _definitely_ not the effect I was going for.

Hiei and I stare at each other. I'm surprised to see a smile playing about his thin lips.

"I congratulate you." He says happily. "No one's done that to Kuwabara for a loooong time. Completely priceless."

"Thanks, but your opinion doesn't count."

"And why not?" The smile is replaced with his usual scowl.

"Because you're a bi, right? You said so yourself, bis opinions don't count…"

Hiei's pupils contract suddenly. "No. I AM NOT A BI! I…I CAN'T BE! I KNOW…I KNOW I'M NOT!"

"Too bad, Hiei. You have to marry Kurama."

Hiei practically melts, and he takes the same route that Kuwabara does.

Heheheh. Now I can try to get out of here with my lock pick!

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A/N Review! Oh, how I wish my little Kurama was straight! And anyway, I do think Hiei is straight, but for humor's purposes she is making him believe he is a bi. Again, not meant to offend bis…


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH…as of yet. And I wanted to make a note here. Kuwabara and Hiei and Kuramacan speak English here, that's why they are in the U.S...and also, this might be the last chapter for a while (cries). I am writing my fictionpress story more now, and so this has been put on hold. Only, since I said this, it'll end up being right on time, but in case it isn't, y'all know why.

**Chapter 11: Taking Chances**

Good. Now they're both out of the way for now.

I take out the little sprig of wire from my pocket. It looks pretty ordinary to me. But then again, almost anything can be used as a lock pick in desperate situations. That includes hardened chewing gum. I tried it once, and it actually worked, although it took a lot more time than it was worth. It kept morphing back into a shapeless blob every time I tried to form it correctly. And the only reason I was using such a bizarre method is because I had forgotten my real lock pick…

I shake myself mentally. They could be back at any minute.

Okay. Now it's time to see if there really is a crack anywhere here. There should be. Since there's certainly no way out unless I get to that control panel, I'll have to get out the old box-it-down way.

I jab systematically, up and down, left and right. It's got to work sometime this century.

Finally, my scraping pays off. I feel a miniscule chip in the glass. I guess whenHiei re-summoned it, it fortunately didn't reform properly. And even this little chip in the hands of a desperate klepto can be used for some good.

I pull back my arm with the lock pick, and jab it fiercely into that one spot. I receive severe recoil on my arm, and I draw it back in pain, only to strike again. This is what you do to a weak spot. You jab it until it cracks. I should start a TV show: _Escape From Anything 101._

I continue to hit it forcefully. But the strange thing is, I don't notice any difference. Usually, once you hit something about 5-9 times, you start to hear definite cracking. I guess it isn't as easy as TV makes it look.

Yes, it's very strange. Virtually everything I know comes from TV. And they say TV causes intelligence to decrease…what idiots. You know, who the hell made that up? TV taught me more than school ever could.

Well, if they can invent glass that melts with the press of a button, maybe they also made it indestructible.

Oh my god, could that be true? I mean, if I've never heard of vanishing glass, why did I have to hear of indestructible glass too?

DAMN!

I stop banging. That must be it. I've hit it 15 times total, and nothing has happened. I need to go to Plan B.

But what is Plan B? I mean, what resources do I have?

I could use the bathroom excuse again, but I don't think they'd buy it. Hiei seems pretty intelligent. I mean, they are thinking up unbelievable codes. Like, the "Spirit World" must mean headquarters, "Yusuke" must be their ringleader,and a number of other nips and nags that I heard must mean other things. Of course, Hiei probably made it up, Kuwabara really _does_ think like an ape, although I guess it isn't his fault…

Oh well, I just have to focus on thinking of another way out for now.

I sit down, put the wire away, and rest my head in my hands. I can't believe it didn't work. How unfair is that? I mean, I'm defenseless in here, God could at least give me a little head start, right?

Well, I could do my _initial _initial plan. I could just make them start doubting themselves and eventually get let out.

Well, to be bleak, what other options do I have?

I sigh, and hear Hiei and Kuwabara come back.

"Oh. You. Hi."

"Hi." Say Hiei and Kuwabara shortly.

"Um…given any thought to my character studies of you guys?"

"Yes."

"Are all our responses one-worded?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid I'll start screaming." Says Hiei carefully.

"Screaming? Why would you scream? I only told you the painful truth."

"Yes. Painful it was. But I can't accept it." Kuwabara smiles smugly. "I've figured it out. You're only tricking me."

"Oh am I now?"

"Yes, you are."

"And you know this how?"

"My parents are honorable people who would not lie to me."

"Then why did they lie to you about being your adoptive parents?"

"Um…"

"See what I mean? You know nothing about those lying, cheap scumbags. They probably bought you at a zoo."

"You…you think so?"

"I do." I say gravely. "It's the sad truth."

Hiei looks like his ribs have cracked from withheld laughter.

Kuwabara sighs, and in horror I notice tears at the corners of his eyes. "I…I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER HOME!"

"KUWABARA!"

The sound of Hiei's volume shocks us, and we shut up. Hiei also has the look of one who has just disproved infinity.

"Kuwabara, can I speak to you for a second?"

"Uh, sure."

_(Conversation in the hall)_

"You – are – the – biggest – gorilla – ever." Says Hiei, dragging Kuwabara by the ear into the tunnel.

"So you believe it too, huh?"

Hiei glares. "Kuwabara, I've figured it out."

"Figured what out and how? You know I'm not good with these kinds of things…"

"You know how she keeps saying that I'm a bi and you're a gorilla?"

"Yeah…"

"I shouldn't have to tell you this, but she's just messing with us. She's trying to make us fly off the handle to increase her chances at escape."

"Really?"

Angered silence.

"Damn. She's really smart, isn't she? We had to pick a genius to capture."

"I don't think that's it. I just think she's crafty and knows how to talk a cat into a doghouse. Listen, we've got to tread really carefully around her until Kurama gets back. He's the only one that has any hope at matching her. I was actually starting to believe I _was_ a bi."

"You're not?"

"NO!" Hiei suddenly realizes that he went above a whisper. "No!" He whispers urgently. "That's what she wants me to think! I'm not a bi, she's just trying to screw around with me! Because, I just realized, I am not calm all the time, and that was what was sending me into despair."

"Oh…" Says Kuwabara. "So, you're not a bi?"

"No, I'm not."

"And I'm not an ape?"

"Even though you act like one, you are definitely a human."

"COOL! I mean…what? Could you say all that again?"

"…" > ;;

_(Kara)_

Damn it! I called too much attention to their faults, and Hiei figured it out! Damn, damn, damn!

Oh, how could I let this happen? I should have known it would happen! How could I have been so unbelievably stupid?

And now look what it's cost me. My best and probably my only weapon is gone. DAMN!

Wait. Think about this.

I could continue pretending that I think I have them under my control, although they know that they are not under my control, and they only think that I still have them under control, but if they think that I still have them under control, they might doubt that they are right about not being controlled,which I would not have found out unless I wasn't eavesdropping, and man, I'm getting confused.

I could also try to erase that thought by making my talks even more convincing, because it appears that the only reason they are doubting me is because I keep bringing it up too much. Once again, I should have known that was bound to happen.

…Screw it. I have two options.

I think I'll go with B. A doesn't seem like it would accomplish anything.

Is it just me, or is the light getting brighter above my head?

Ow. OW, THAT HURTS! I feel my skin starting to peel, and I'm blinded. Damn!

The world goes dark.

Captured… 

I pull my shirt up to cover my head, and crouch down into a ball. I accidentally stab myself in the head with the wire. Ow…

_Captured…_

The awful voice continues.

Gonna…explode…

Suddenly, the light dims.

Shakily, I pull the shirt back into normal position and glance up at the light. Yes, it's just as it used to be. Not hot and not cool.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" I yell.

I immediately realize I should not have, but oh well. I want to find out who tried to kill me.

My shout brings several people running. It's Kuwabara and Hiei of course, but there's also a girl with brown hair. She's wearing this weird blue uniform that has characters on it. Below in parenthesis it saysSarayashiki on it in blue lettering. What is that, Japanese?

They stop, panting. "You called?" Asks Hiei irritably.

"Yes! Someone just tried to give my quite a dazzling tan! I little TOO dazzling!"

"…"

"You are all idiots, you know that? It's called sarcasm. Someone just tried to burn me with this light bulb! And someone thought it was funny to tell me how goddamn CAPTURED I am!"

They all look dazed. "Lemme get this right. Someone turned up the frequency of the light bulb radiance, and then told you that you were caught?"

Kuwabara nods. "It might have been the work of a thunder demo…" He catches Hiei's warning glance. "I mean, the work of an electrician."

_Thunder demo…what? Demolisher? Just plain demo? Demon?_

"An _electrician_ tried to kill me?"

"Yes." Says the girl, nodding gravely. "There was one just on the news channel 60 Minutes. They said one lost his mind and started trying to screw up electrical wires."

I stare. "If you think I'm swallowing that, you're crazy."

"Swallow it." Says Hiei, fingering what I recognize to be a hilt of a sword. I shut up. Better not take chances with him. He seems to be very rash.

"That's better. And this here is Keiko Yukimura." He points to the Japanese girl. "She's going to talk to you, as you couldn't care less about what Kuwabara and I say. Be nice to her, she's a bit girly."

Oh great.

They leave. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I hate girly girls.

"Konnichiwa." She says cheerfully.

"Bless you." I say angrily.

"Oh…" She seems surprised by my hostility. "KUWABARA!"

He runs in fast. "QUE?"

Is that Japanese?

They talk very quick, and Kuwabara finally just stands next to her.

"Yadadadadadadadada…"

"She says that it's nice to meet you."

"KUWABARA!" I yell. "I'M NOT GONNA LISTEN TO YOU TRANSLATING HER ALL THE TIME! WITH ALL THIS MACHINERY, YOU'D THINK YOU'D HAVE SOMETHING THAT'D DO THAT _WITHOUT_ YOUR PRESENCE!"

"Right." He says sheepishly. He picks up a funny device kind of resembling a gasmaskoff of the table and puts it on Keiko's lips. He then runs down the tunnel yet again. He's certainly getting his daily exercise.

"Uh…Hi?"

Her voice sounds very weird through the translator. "Hi." I grunt.

"Wow, this translator thing is weird! I don't know what you mean, but I do! Hahaha."

I'm silent.

"Haha, anyway, I just wanted to talk to you."

"I see."

"Well…um…" She pulls at her collar. "I'm basically supposed to tell you what you already know, only in clearer terms. Did the guys tell you why you were captured?"

"No. They just say I'm special."

"You are. Okay, let me play psychiatrist."

"How about not?"

"Kara, please, let me in!"

"I'm not the type to let people in. I am a solitary person, and what I don't need is a wannabe brain surgeon!"

She colors. "Well, excuse me for trying to help, O High And Mighty!"

"Yes, excuse you."

There is an angry silence.

"I'll start again. _I am_ playing psychiatrist. How do you feel right now?"

"Crappy."

"Why?"

"Is that some sort of trick question? I just got captured, I'm not being told why I am so special, and I'm hungry! I'm not even let out once in a while!"

"Look, I can let you out if you absolutely want to be. Will it make you talk to me, so we can develop a bond where you'll be more open?"

_Is she for real?_ "Oh, sure. I just want to be let out so badly…" I let my voice taper off to a little quaver. "I just want to stretch! I hate it how mean everyone is being!" I'd be a damn good prep queen. Or maybe a member of the Melodrama Club.

Keiko sighs, and then smiles. "I'll let you out for a little bit so you can feel the air again. But you have to promise not to try to hurt me or anything."

"Oh thank you! I'm sorry I was so mean!" I add perky squeaks here and there.

"Anytime." She says happily. She certainly wins the Most Gullible Idiot Award. Not that I'm complaining. This could be my chance.

She goes to the panel, unconcealing it behind that tile, and presses in a code. Finally, my cage just melts away, and I step out. How long has it been?

I stretch.

Then I hear the phrase.

"Sit down and talk."

"Oh, but I've been sitting for _so long_…"

"OK. But _don't move._ Talk."

I grumble and groan, but start. "My full name is SakaraElizabeth Azhura."

"Yes. Mine is KeikoMelani Yukimura. How old are you?"

"14."

"Oh, I am too! What's your favorite subject?"

"Like, school? I don't do school."

"Really? But we have the coolest gadgets! Like this one over here." She walks over to a table right next to the tunnel, which I am several yards from. Yes…her back is to me…yes…

I follow her, as though I am going to look over shoulder. "Oh, how cool is that?' I ask, inching closer.

"Yeah. It's like a small calculator mainframe, only you can make codes on it and stuff. It's way interesting, and fun to use. Do you want to attend school?"

"Oh definitely." I say, getting still closer.

"In fact…I could probably get you enrolled here, you think?"

"Maybe. I really don't know."

"Yadadadadadadadada."

Her translator has slipped.

My eyes narrow, as she fiddles with it, trying to fit it back on.

I take the last two steps in an instant, and bending down, use my forearmto bump the back of her knees so that she falls flat on her back. Wasting no time, I stand and bolt, going straight into the tunnel.

I hear her yell, "You said you wouldn't hurt me! You'd only talk!"

"I did that, right? I only took advantage of you!"

"WHAT?"

I don't think I have ever run this fast in my life. I run far, and it gets deeper and darker. It suddenly occurs to me that I don't know where this leads. And the weird thing is that my leg is not even bothering me. I guess that's the "spirit cure" as they say.

When I finally start to get winded, I go even faster. I have to make as much distance between them and me as possible.

But how do I get out of something like this? For some reason, I remember a sensation of falling, but I might have been delirious. What if they really did just throw me down here? How will I get back up?

And where are Kuwabara and Hiei? Shouldn't I see something yet?

I finally can't go anymore. I stop and rest my hands on my knees. Damn, this takes an awful lot out of you. How can I outrun them in this state?

I sigh, and start speedwalking, even though my muscles scream. I think that I've covered a mile at most. How long is this tunnel? Is this a mine shaft or something?

No. The ground is way too level. Mines were uneven and bumpy, with random rocks. This thing looks like it was built for the sole purpose of capturing and holding me.

I push onward.

(Backwards)

"Keiko? What the hell happened?" Asks Kuwabara.

Keiko stands up shamefacedly. "She got…away. Fooled me with the old honey voice."

"You're kidding! I try to go out and get some supplies and you let her right out as though you were the one under control!"

Hiei stood up gravely. "And I still can't go after her because I'd have to touch her!"

"I'm going, aren't I?" Groans Kuwabara.

"No. She won't get out. We can't trust you with her again, Kuwabara."

"What I want to know is how she passed us without us seeing or sensing her. A power like that…my Awareness should have picked it up a mile away."

"Can she turn invisible?" Asks Keiko. "Or that guy you fought, Kuwabara, can she cloak herself?"

"I don't know. But I think there's more to her than we know. Than even she knows."

"Well, there's no way she can get out of the tunnel. And otherwise, we'll just have to find her again. No big deal."

"What if she can fly?"

"Oh Kuwabara, of course she can't." Says Hiei, although he doesn't sound too reassured.

They suddenly look at each other.

"I'll find her…" Says Hiei.

"…and I'll get her." Says Kuwabara.

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A/N Let's see how she does. How'd you like it? And I'm sorry if this chapter is gonna be here a while...just because of other stories. Really, the only reason What Happened To My Life is not getting delayed is because I have all the chapters completed, I'm just choosing to update only once a week. I finished them all last summer, and I only wrote a few more during September, when I was just getting into ninth grade.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or anything.

**Chapter 12: Fiery Agony**

Breath is tearing at my lungs. I am so unbelievably tired. I don't even know if I'm being _chased_ and I'm running like a dog. I am so exhausted…could I at least afford to take a bit of a break?

No. Can't risk it. I don't know at how fast a rate they're moving. I can't afford to take any chances, no matter how likely those are. But how I wish I could just stop…I think I really am in a coal mine. The air here is little better than poisonous. I really don't want black lung.

Finally, I can't go on, and feeling around for the earthen wall, I relax, breathing dangerously hard. If I was an asthmatic, I'd be dead. _Dead._ I'm so close to dying as it is. All of my pitiful life would be for naught.

I refuse to let them kill me. I did not live my 15 years to die without achieving what my life is all about.

I really, really, _really_ want to know what's going on here. I just don't understand what's happening here. Why did they try to melt me with that light? A deranged _electrician_…I really find that insulting that they think I'm so stupid. What would be the point of burning me? Don't they need me? Yeah…Hiei said that "THEY" can't afford to have me run away again, right? I must have made them really mad, to manage like I did for those whole two days. They'll definitely come after me. THEY _need_ me. And I _so_ did not need to hear that from a guy, anyway.

And that Keeko girl must have squealed on me by now. They'll be returning any moment. That is to say, that Kuwabara oaf and that mysterious Hiei. There must be more to them than they are letting on. But what? Why am I feeling like this? Why am I getting these vibes? What makes me believe that they aren't just ordinary kidnappers? I guess it's because it doesn't make sense why they'd kidnap me. I don't come from a rich family, and they can't know about my thiefhood.

But what if they do?

I shake my brain by rattling my head. I never really believed in imagination too much, but maybe it's time. Either that, or I'm having brain hallucinations.

I think I hear a small thump behind me.

Panicking, I run off again, still seeing nothing. Why me? I don't really get scared, but when it's a life and death situation, can you blame me?

I am about to die of exhaustion when I finally see a beam of light just up ahead. Maybe that's the door out of this awful mine. I just want to get out of here!

Putting on an extra spurt of speed, I run towards it…and straight into a wall. Non-surprisingly, I flip over, blinking stupidly.

Lying on my back, stunned, I slowly stand up. Where is the light?

I look around me. It's at my feet mostly, but all around me too, in a hexagon shape. At least that's what I think the shape is. I'm not good at math. Anyway, so…

How am I standing in it? If it's surrounding me…

I look up, and get a blue spot in my eye. The light is coming from the ceiling. A very, very high ceiling. A trap door. A hole bathing my stance in light.

How am I going to get up there?

I think crazily. I can't lock pick anything that's sixty feet away from me. No normal person could do that, not even Sakara Azhura. Not Catwoman. Not anybody. And I have nothing else on me, not even a rope. I can't get out.

My God, where the hell is Batman when you need him? He always beat Catwoman, right?

I stare up at it longingly. They anticipated this. They must have. They made sure I couldn't get out. After all, I'm only human. And they…they exploited that. My only, only weakness. I'm not a demon. And I need to be.

Close behind me, I hear that tapping again. It must be Hiei. They sound like the soles of some shoes. Very, very, _very_ fast moving.

Yes. Hiei. Kuwabara couldn't find his way down a _brightly lit_ tunnel. But if it is indeed Hiei, how is he moving that fast? _No human could do that._

A thought occurs to me. I might be human, but he might not be. It's preposterous enough to make sense with all the other weird stuff—this shaft, all the electronics deep underground, the inhuman abilities, the strange technology that's way ahead of our time. So, what does that make Hiei, then? A boy with special powers? And if so, do I really know him? Maybe he isn't as shallow as he seems to me.

Or maybe he's just riding a mutant ostrich…I mean, why not? If they have meltable and reusable glass, why not mutant ostriches?

I think back. 'A thunder demo—' What was the word he had meant to say? Could that have something to do with inhuman speed?

Tipatapa.

Tipatapa.

Tipatipatipatipatipatipa…TA! It stops. Then I hear a yell.

"Over here! NO, NOT THERE, _HERE_, OAF!"

I jump and stare into the darkness. It's Hiei. No one else says that sixty's insult 'oaf.' But…it doesn't sound like Hiei at all. It must be, though. Maybe his mutant ostrich is speaking for him. Or maybe he can _become_ a kind of running bird. Or a penguin. He looks enough like one.

I stare further, and do pick out a small shape. I think it's Hiei. He has spiky hair. So Hiei.

He steps into the light, inches from me, and I see that it is definitely his body. But…

I scream. What the hell is that thing? What has so many eyes diamond tattoos…?

I hear something slice the air right by me. Something like a sword…the thing steps out of the light and into the darkness.

"I'll handle her!" Says Kuwabara, and the sword slashes stop momentarily.

Completely overtaken by fear, I screech like a small child and dive out of the way. Who are these people?

I hear a stomp near me, trying to aim for my foot, and jump out of the way again. God knows how I'm doing this with broken legs.

"Kara – hold – still!" Yes, that's definitely Kuwabara.

I am suddenly blinded by something. It's long, sharp, yellow, and glowing. Oh, and its aflame with what looks like electricity.

It's an electric sword, held and wielded by Kuwabara.

I stare at it. It's definitely lethal, and I'm no expert on swords.

I am _so_ dead. And it's not even funny.

Kuwabara poises his sword. "Just come back quietly and we won't have to hurt you!" He says, hoping sound threatening and failing. The glow illuminates his face.

"Hurt me? _Hurt me!_ I think you've done a fine job of that _without_ the electric sword! Was that given to you by the deranged electrician who wants me dead?" I don't hide my scorn.

Kuwabara is silent. "_You_ were the one who refused to come with us the first time. This could have all been much easier."

"What first time? Why would I go with you, oaf?"

"I dunno."

This is just embarrassing.

The "thing" steps into the light again.

"WHAT ARE YOU?" I yell, trying to mask my panic. I've never seen anything more revolting. It was definitely the thing that flung the non-glowing sword at my head initially. It is a little green creature with eyes all over it's body, which I originally thought were tattoos, and it has black hair tipped with blue parted into two triangular sections on both sides of its head. The worst part is how much it resembles Hiei. The black hair is only in a different style, and the cold red eyes are exactly the same. Ignoring the lizard skin and all, though.

"Someone." It says coolly. It even _talks_ like Hiei, even if the voice pitch is lower.

"SOMEONE WHO? I KNOW YOU'RE HIEI!"

"I'm just someone. Not Hiei. NOT. I am Opalapa…Ninafrancis Junior. Comply quietly with me and I won't have to use my Jagan."

"Wha---NO, you freak! I'm not going back in that little cage! I HATE CAGES! BUT DO _YOU_ CARE? NO!"

"You have to be in a cage, otherwise this would happen again. We can't really afford to take that risk. There's now no way you are ever getting out of your cage again, until we enlist further precautions. So, come. Now. Back to your glass box."

"N-no!"

"So be it. Kuwabara? Kill her. I'll keep watch."

The huge figure nods, and he comes at me again with the yellow glowing sword.

I jump out of the way again. Something tells me that if that even touches me, it's all over.

I avoid blow after blow, but I realize that he is backing me up against the wall. I can't let that happen.

And his blows are increasing in sheer tenacity. Head-stomach-chest-legs-arms over and over again, only not in that pattern. I don't know how I am reading all these moves. I guess it's just because depending on the pullback swing, you can judge where it's going to cut.

Just like picking locks. There, you listen for the clicks of the combination. Here, you see where the drawback motion leads. _Just like picking locks…_

I finally hit the background surrounding me. Man, I'm done.

I see him draw that electric sword back. Back farther and farther…to the right, and up.

He's going to attack my left leg.

I can't let that happen. With all these injuries, my leg will come cleanly off.

I take a deep breath and recoil my leg just as the sword cuts through the stone floor like a hot knife through butter. Squinching it up as tight as I can, I spring load my broken leg and blindly kick it out horizontally. I feel it connect with something squishy and Kuwabara lets out a yell worthy to cause a cave-in, which clues me in to exactly _what_ I hit. The sword flickers and then dies. It is not completely dark except for the light, which I am still standing in.

I have to get out of the light. They'll find me that way.

Still not daring to stand for fear of getting decapitated by either of them, I crab walk out of the light and into sweet darkness. I relax for a second and I get back up.

Then, my leg lets out a nerve roar so loud that I almost scream out of the pain. _What the hell happened…?_ Is this what I should expect out of this leg?

Then, the fire dies down, and I get a second agony from my bruised right arm. This is fiery death. My breathing comes in short gasps as I try to control the pain, and I collapse, lying vulnerable on my back on the floor. I can see the pillar of light 3 yards in front of me. The fire dies down again suddenly and both of my remaining limbs go off at the same time.

I am so close to fainting…

I use my left arm and right leg to crawl away, my vision going blurry. Somehow, I know THEY'RE responsible. But how?

There is another random sword swipe near me in the darkness. I don't know why he doesn't just shine it around to find me and snuff me out for good. Hiei is still standing in the light, onlooking, seemingly unable to see me.

Then, I experience the pain that hell's angels experience. All four of my limbs go off at the same time, and I feel like several hands have seized each of them and are pulling—hard. My eyelids flutter. I hate myself. I was just complaining about nonexistent asthma.

I just want it to end…

Then, as another sword swipe is taken at me, a gleaming white light shines all around me as though another trap door from the ceiling opened and the pain vanishes. Not caring, my mind floats in dreamy bliss. It…it _did_ end…

The sword slashes have stopped. I can see the eye-creature-that-might-be-Hiei staring at me, as well as my immediate attacker, Kuwabara. Or at the light that has suddenly illuminated us.

He slashes at me, and there is only a dull ringing sound of metal on metal as he makes contact with my fleshy stomach. Finally. I really _have_ died. I guess I did want the pain to end…and I got my wish. Only I guess that I really won't ever see him again…

More slashes. Nothing happens. My lethargy disappears with that thought of death.

_I will see him again. I swore I would. I will jump out of heaven. I will kick God in the rear. I will not die._

The light disappears, and once again, the pillar of light is the only thing nearby that I can see.

I suddenly feel a whole lot better, feeling no more fire.

"Hiei?" A long thin person drops down through the pillar of light.

There is another set of feet nearby.

"Hiei, I found a bus! We can get out of here!" It sounds like Kurama.

The green thing seems distracted. I turn and bolt, only to run dead smack into the wall again. New pain resounding in my head, I run in the opposite direction, and hit something else that topples right over. I yell as whatever-it-is drags me down with it. I fight it. I punch that hand and the rest of that thing…

"What is going on here?" Still Kurama. Clueless ass.

I still punch the thing, which hits me very hard over the head in response, but I do not relent.

Then, I hear a whip sound nearby as well as sword slashes in the distance.

Mr. Hair!

I yank the unfortunate person's that I landed on hair and they finally let go of my shoulder. I stand up, stomp on them one last time, and run to the pillar of light again. There's no way in the world that I can beat both Green Dude, Kuwabara, Mr. Hair, and probably Kurama too. I need to get out of here.

The walls are too slick. I can't climb them up. I already tried. I have to fly. Maybe it is stupid and childish, but if I can see a creature of 1000 eyes, and a magic electric sword, I can fly. That's all there is to it.

I stare up at the trap door all the way up there. _Fly, fly…_

_Fly…_

_Fly…_

_Fly…_

I hear some more pattering and then something grabs me from behind in a bear hug. I jump and stomp on their foot. It grunts and only squeezes tighter. Then, I feel even more pain. It's that Fiery Limbs of Hell thing that keeps coming to me.

I eyes widen, and probably burst. I am being swallowed up.

Out of agony, I slam the person holding me, and I elbow, stomp, whatever else, and jump high in the air, my last attempt at flight.

I fall back to the ground when I feel a kind of powder encircling me, as if pollen from a breeze, and suddenly, I stop fighting. I have no energy left.

It's…some kind of poison spore…

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A/N Review! Happy I updated? I am too!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH!

**Chapter 13:**

I open my eyes with surprising ease. I haven't been able to do that for a long time. I am in a very brightly lit, white room. I snap my eyes back shut as soon as I open them, and stretch tentatively, to see if everything still works. My right hand knocks on something hard, cool, and smooth that just might be glass.

_Glass._ The realization hits me. _They got me again._ AGAIN. What's wrong with me? How could I have let this happen? Two days ago, I was happy and free, and stealing from the New Jersey _State_ Bank, and I got out completely undetected. People actually truly believed that I was some sort of fantasy-aerobic-Catwoman-thief demon, well, the superstitious ones, anyway. No one was even sure if I existed. And now look at me. I can't even walk two _feet _without getting jumped on and dragged back to my cage. Pathetic. Two stupid kidnappers shouldn't be able to contain me like this, but they have. They've beaten me in every corner: stealth, speed, brains, and even sheer dueling skills. Give me a break. That was not a fair match. AN ELECTRIC SWORD! Where's their honor?

I open my eyes to tiny slits to reduce the light being let in, and squint around. I can't see much, because I must be in the cage again. How dare they. I specifically told them that I didn't want to be put here again, and yet they still do it. They don't care about hurting me. They don't care what happens, and they have no morals. I mean, I know, I'm one to talk, being a common thief, but my exploits didn't actually hurt anyone. But that's all they do to me. Although, I'm not sure if it's intentional or not. They just…want me. I don't think it's sex that they want, because they could have taken advantage of me a long, long time ago. They probably don't want my money, either, because they'd just torture me until I told them where to find it, and they'd probably kill me afterwards. Besides, like I said, unless they were actually watching me in the time of the burglaries, I don't see how they could know about that anyway. I have no idea what they're after.

I chance a quick glance and burn my eyes again with the sheer white brilliance. Maybe if I cup my hands over my eyes and make gaps between my fingers, I'll be able to stand it.

I start to pull my arms down, but they only get about several inches before they are roughly jerked back. Shutting my eyes to focus on the nerves in my hands, I can feel metal bracelets on my wrists. I'm shackled.

I try my legs and receive the same reaction. I'm all tied up.

I finally open my eyes and am not immediately burned. I am staring up a blank white ceiling. My God, would a little color hurt these people? I look upwards at my chains. They are of the typical medieval iron links, and they attach to a foot-tall sheet of metal. It looks like a wall from my point of view. This gray wall surrounds me on all four sides.

A crib. I'm chained in a metal crib with a hard white pad underneath me.

I try to turn my body sideways to see if I can get a better view out of the crib, but it turns out that I'm bound around the middle too, with iron, of course.

I stop struggling and lay back. Well, well. I do seem to be past hope indeed.

I sigh. Why do they want me? Not my body, not my money, not my…

Oh God. What if they _do_ know that I'm a thief? What if they know about the $40,000 reward out for my arrest?

Of course.

My heart sinks as fast as my stomach at the very thought. _That's_ why Kurama went to get a bus. They're going to turn me in to the New Jersey State Police. That's where they'll collect my reward, and I'll be stuck in a true iron cage.

It all makes sense. That's why they're keeping me here. They don't care about what I've stolen. All they care about is that they get the money that is worth all of my stores anyway.

I feel suddenly very cold. I have to get out of here. I twist and struggle against the metal, but only end up hurting myself. I fidget even more, but nothing happens.

Then, I hear voices. It sounds like Kuwabara and someone else.

Then, the metal walls around me slide down where I can't see them, and I have a clear view around me. I'm definitely not in that underground little room anymore. It has lots of little armchairs, and aside from being completely white, it would be almost homey.

"You're awake!" It's Kuwabara and a tall brunette girl. She smiles at me, and I can tell that she's a smoker from her teeth. I pretend that I'm biting her pretty little head off, and gnash my teeth at her.

Her smile fades. Kuwabara doesn't notice, and just keeps talking.

"Kara, I was thinking that Kurama used the wrong spore on you."

"Don't call me Kara. THE CAPTIVE is fine with me."

"All right, O Captive. You've been out for a really long time."

"How long?" I grunt.

"Almost four days."

My eyes widen. "Four days?"

"Yes. But you're awake now, and that's what counts. Listen, Kara—"

"I _said_ don't call me Kara."

"All right already. CAPTIVE, it's time to fill you in on some things that we haven't shared with you yet. We didn't do it before because we had no way to show you th—"

"Because you didn't want me to know where I was headed."

"And—how did you know that?"

"Please, Kuwabara, I'm not stupid. I know this is probably the police station. Have you collected your reward yet? And what is she, a cop in a kimono?" I ask, jerking my head to the girl.

He stares at me, and then her. "No, this is my sister, Shizuru. My _blood_ sister." He adds, as if to reassure himself.

Oh my God. He still isn't entirely sure that he's not a monkey. Just what I need.

"And what do you mean, a reward?"

"You just turned me in!" I half-scream. "Aren't you getting the reward for locking me up?"

"What the hell are you talking about? We're going to fill you in now because, not that we're locking you up, but that we had no proof back in the lab."

I stare at him in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding. There's no way that what you have to show me now is any weirder than what happened back in the mine."

"What mine?"

"THE TUNNEL!" I yell. "WHEN SOMEONE CHUCKED A SWORD AT MY HEAD, WHEN THE GREEN GUY TOLD YOU TO KILL ME WITH THE ELECTRIC SWORD, AND ALSO WHEN I GOT PUT TO SLEEP BY SOME _POLLEN!_"

"Oh, the _tunnel_, you mean. Yeah, that had to be pretty disconcerting—"

"OOOOOOH, big word."

"But now, we're going to bring in someone—"

"Who actually knows what they're talking about?"

"No. Someone—"

"With half a brain?"

"SHUT UP! Someone who knows more about this than I do. It's Shizuru." He waits.

I shudder. "She's already here."

"Oh, right, I meant Yusuke. Yusuke Urameshi."

I blink, unable to think of a comment. This guy must be Japanese like all the rest of them with a name like that. Shizuru still hasn't said anything, but she keeps watching me carefully.

Then, I see a teenager come walking in. He walks like a cat. I didn't hear a single footstep.

I look him over. He looks pretty short, and is definitely Asian, with the black hair, brown eyes, and complexion. He looks pretty beat up. He has a huge white neck brace and both of his arms are in slings, and he has a cast on his right leg. He is entirely dressed in green. It's amazing how he can mask his presence even with all of those injuries. He's no more than my age, but at the same time, there is something commanding about him.

"Your boss is a teenager?" I ask, disgusted. I don't care how intimidating he is. He's still a little boy.

Yusuke glares at me. "Yes, girl, a teenager."

"A teenager who just had a refreshing trip through the trash compactor."

He slumps into an armchair, and rubs his forehead. "How observant of you. I didn't think you'd notice that every inch of me is covered in plaster."

I say nothing for a moment. "Why did you bother keeping me here for so long if all you're going to do is turn me in?"

Yusuke looks confused, but then Shizuru whispers something in his ear for a few seconds and confusion is replaced by realization. It's the first time I've heard her talk.

He says to me, "Oh, you think we're here to give you in to the police for your habit of breaking and entering?"

"NO. I was just thinking that maybe I was being given a Nobel Prize for it. Come on! Where are the police? Why am I strapped to a table? And why aren't I in a cage yet?"

"Because we're not turning you in."

"Yeah, right."

"No, we aren't. Believe me, if we turned you in to the jailhouse, we'd have a hard time getting you back, what with all the security systems. You are the only person we know who can slip through there."

"And why would you need to get me back?"

"We need you."

"Why? Why does everyone keep saying that and not saying exactly why they need me? I was just a common thief, trying to make my way illegally, when all of a sudden you and your pet—" I jerk my head at Kuwabara, "—decide to capture me? If it's not the money you want, if it's not my body you want, if it's not the reward out for my arrest that you want, then what do you want?" I suddenly realize what's been going on. "You don't want anything except the satisfaction of knowing you beat me. _That's_ why there's no cops. That's why you tortured me. You want to make this as long and drawn out as possible so that I have no confidence left and I'll always know that I have a better. That's your plan."

Yusuke looks at Kuwabara, and they both burst out laughing, in these huge guffaws. I stare at them angrily.

I start to speak, but they keep cutting me off with their insane cackling.

"JUST WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

They stop laughing. Yusuke again speaks.

"We want your skill."

I stare at him. "My skull." I LIKE my head that way it is!

"No, your _skill._ The fact that you can slip through any barrier undetected. The fact that you have never been seen by anyone human. The fact that you are the perfect thief."

I narrow my eyes. This isn't adding up. "So what if I'm a good criminal? That wouldn't explain why you had to torture me. If you needed my skill, you should have just asked for it. I would have done anything for a reasonable price." I say. It's true. I've done it before. Once this old lady asked me to steal this old piece of artwork for. Even though she was very poor, she baked me a lot of really good homemade pies of various flavoring, so that was my price. I got the art for her, and I never saw her again.

Come to think of it, she had weird colored hair like the rest of this bunch. It was very neon pink…

"If we had just asked you, you would have thought we were barking fanatics."

"Uh…I already do."

Yusuke shakes his head. "Trust me on this one. When we first tell you exactly why we need you, and why it can only be you, you won't believe us. This is what I came to talk about. Kara—"

"The Captive."

"Captive, you are about to become very confused."

"Oh. Joy."

"We just need to wait for Hiei and Kurama to get here—I don't know why they're taking so long…"

Yusuke pulls a mirror out of his green pants pockets, and stares into it.

O.o;

What is up here? Does Yusuke usually spruce when he's waiting for someone?

Then, he starts _talking_ to it. I'm not even kidding. He's telling what he thinks is Kurama that they need to get here really fast, and that the paperwork can wait.

O.o

"You realize that you just talked to your reflection?" I ask, as he puts it back in his pocket.

"Yep. You'd be surprised how fun it actually is."

I stare in horror. Not only are my captors sadists, but they're also psychopaths.

Then, the metal door swings open again, and the girly Kurama and the midget Hiei walk in together. They also have an aqua-haired girl with them. They all appear to be very stressed.

I stare at them as they sit down in chairs. Yusuke motions to Kuwabara, and he and his sister sit down in the two remaining chairs. When they are all seated, Kuwabara presses a button on his chair and all of a sudden, my table is cranked up vertically. My hair falls all around my face, and I shake it out. I am now stuck staring at all six people all at once. And I glare really, really hard, particularly at the aqua haired girl. Too bad. She seems kind of sweet. Too bad I'm going to kill her and everyone else if they ever are stupid enough to let me out of here.

"Well? Is anyone going to say anything?"

Yusuke clears his throat. "Okay. Um, I'm not good with this philosophy stuff, but you're not going to believe what we tell you. Just accept that for right now."

I say nothing. I just glare even harder. I think I'm making a burn in his shirt.

"Okay. The reason that we brought you here is because you are an excellent thief and we can really use that skill."

"So I've heard."

"Right. And the reason that we need this skill is because we need to reclaim something."

"Ah, _reclaiming._ The thief's language for stealing. What is this? Some priceless gem? Some nuke that's just waiting to destroy the world? Forget it."

"Just hear me out! It doesn't matter what you'll have to steal. All you have to know is who you'll be stealing it from."

"Some major business lord? I don't really care. I won't help you."

"Just so you know, you owe us your life. Our healer, Yukina, completely fixed your wounds."

I look up and down. Is that why I feel so great? "It still doesn't matter. You still owe me a lot more than some fixed bones with some new kind of medication. Like, trying to fry me alive, and sending me those bolts of pain, threatening me with death, and throwing swords at me!"

At this, Yusuke goes white. He gapes at Hiei and Kuwabara, who look instantly worried. "What did you guys do?" He hisses dangerously. "I told you to bring her here, not to kill her!"

Hiei stands up at this comment. "I'll talk from here, Yusuke. This way, the Captive and you will both understand. I'm going to say what really happened on the night that she defeated Keiko and ran."

"I'll tell you what—" Hiei silences me with a death glare even better than mine. I shut up pretty fast.

"I don't really know what happened with the light." He says blandly. "It's possible that there could have been a technical problem, or there might have been some interference from a being of sorts. As for the night when Kuwabara and I chased her, when we finally caught up to her, she was ready to collapse out of all of her injuries, but somehow, she was still holding on, and her life aura was so strong it worried me. I instructed Kuwabara to kill her because she couldn't be killed. Not with a life aura like that. To "kill" her would be to weaken her considerably so that we could have her back in the cage. But the thing was that her life aura flickered into death several times. It just completely blackened for several seconds at a time. I think that was what she was referring to as bursts of pain. It was not our doing. But as for the swords used by Kuwabara and I, those were only to be used to weaken her spirit energy. They were not to kill her. Then, Kara set up a white light around herself as a protective barrier, and her spirit energy increased phenomenally. I don't think we could have defeated her. It was good that Kurama came when he did. He gave a sleep spore and we brought her here."

Yusuke looks very grim. So does everyone else. "He's found us already." He says quietly. "This is not good. Not good."

I talk again. "So, you only tried to kill be because I only had too high of a spirit energy. You know, it might be possible that I might be even more confused than I was before. What is a spirit energy?"

"It's the amount of power a person has resting in their soul."

"Ah, I see." I say genially. "So, all this is just a happy little séance where we get to find out how powerful our souls are. GOODY!"

"No, this is not a 'happy little séance'."

"Of course it is! Where else are auras read?"

"This is way more serious than what you're thinking." Says Shizuru, speaking for the first time. "I had a premonition a while ago of this happening, and—"

"IT IS A HAPPY LITTLE SÉANCE! I'VE NEVER HAD SO MUCH FUN!"

"SHUT UP!"

I smirk at Shizuru. She glares.

"Just tell her and put her back in the hold." She says irritably.

Yusuke walks right over to me. "Captive, you must steal something very valuable from something very dangerous."

"I told you I won't do it."

"You don't have a choice."

"Yes, I do. I'll escape from here."

"You really think so, don't you? That's so darling, but it's not happening."

"I'll make sure it doesn't." Says Hiei, and suddenly, in a flash of fire, he vanishes. In his place is that horrible green creature with all of the eyes that I Saw back in the tunnel. Drool drips from his sharp teeth. He holds a sword in his waistband.

I actually scream.

Yusuke smiles. "I'll make this quick. You are to steal from God."

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A/N GO ME! REVIEW!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho…

**Chapter 14:**

I blink, still with a stupid smile on my face. I can't seem to get it off. I feel like a dark-haired Barbie. "God." I repeat. "He really does hate me."

"She's going into shock." Hisses Shizuru at Hiei angrily. "Put it away!"

Hiei shrugs and, in another blinding flash of black and red fire, is replaced by the same raven-haired youth. Without green skin. Thank God.

Only, not thank GOD. Thank Satan. Maybe he still loves me.

Is this what shock actually feels like? That I absolutely can't move?

I take a deep breath, willing it away. That was just a magic trick. These people are trying to scare me with magic tricks. No big deal. I'm too smart for them.

Yusuke remains looking worried. "Are you sure you're all right?"

I say nothing. I just give him a look. Then, I say shakily, "You aren't cluing me in on anything. You're only screwing with my mind. But I'm onto you. So what if you can do a magic trick that looks like fire and turn into the green man? I'm not falling for any of this ridiculous fantasy that you've dreamt up. I won't help you. You can bash my head in, I don't care, I'm not doing anything for you band of minstrels."

Yusuke claps a hand to his forehead and runs it down his face in annoyance. "We are not minstrels. We are not gypsies. We are not magicians. We are the Spirit Patrol."

I blink again. "Still not falling for it."

Kuwabara tears out a chunk of red hair. "Just accept this!" he would go on, but Yusuke leads him out into the hallway. Kuwabara presses the button on his chair, which returns me to my natural horizontal state with a click of the gears that must be under my table. The other four follow Yusuke and Kuwabara out the door, switching off the light as the last of them leave, except for Hiei, who waits in his chair. I can't see him very well this way.

But that's good.

If I can't see him, he can't see me. He's only human. I'll be able to get to my lock pick easier this way.

While I am fiddling with my chains, Hiei starts to speak.

"Somewhere—"

"OV-ER THE RAINBOW!" I yell. I really don't want to talk to him. He creeps me out.

"_No._ Somewhere underneath all that denial, you know what we're saying is true."

"No, I really don't. I'm not buying it. I know that you'll let me go sometime, and then I'll never see you again. I don't care that your band has beat me. I'll go back to klepto-ness and be free of all this forever."

"Wishful thinking. Believe me, once we're done with you, if I get my way, I'm going to sell you into slavery myself."

"How comforting." Damn, I can't reach my waistband…oh. Someone changed my tattered clothes into a navy blue robe. "Who undressed me?"

"Yukina. Who else?"

"Making sure." Now I don't even have my lock pick? GRRR! I don't even know who Yukina is! I'm assuming she's a girl, though.

"You're much more trouble than you're worth. Your rolling head would be very satisfying."

Don't react. _Don't react…_ "But you NEED ME. You can't just behead me and get away with it from Yusuke."

"After we're finished with you, that is. Then, you're nothing but a used rag doll. Taking off your head will be fine by everyone."

"God, you get out much? You have to have more hobbies then swift decapitation."

He says nothing for a few seconds. "I've done it all my life. One more won't hurt me."

"Yeah, it will. You'll be sent to hell when you finally do die."

He almost sighs, then catches himself. "I've been damned before I became what I am now."

"But you're like, 13!"

"16."

"Damn. Well, how many wrongs could you have committed that aren't killing people? You must have been a child!"

"I was."

"Well then?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does! What could an eight year old have done?"

"I wasn't eight!"

"Yes—"

"We're back!" Says Kuwabara happily, as the door swings open again. "I have a great idea to make you understand that we're for real!"

I notice that the others are out of breath, and that Shizuru has lit up on a cigarette. They've probably been arguing with him. Yusuke says quickly, "Okay. This is completely Kuwabara's idea. He copyrights anything that you are about to see. Ugh…none of it you can blame on me."

They all sit, and Kuwabara pulls out a small, handheld gray TV from his pocket. "I've been using this because I had the same problem as Kara does!" he says rapturously. "Here…" He inserts a tiny CD into a slot in the gray VCR and the screen flickers white before it goes into a regular picture.

I watch it, interested in spite of myself. It's a good thing I have good enough vision to see it over there.

A balding man with grayish hair wearing a neon checked pink tie over a bare chest comes on holding a poster reading STEPS OF ACCEPTANCE! The screen flashes, and I see a PowerPoint slide come on bearing words, in crude calligraphy, _Accept Your Problems The Pie Way._

It switches back. I silently pray to God—no, Satan—that the TV explodes.

"When you are faced with a difficult prospect," he begins with this annoyingly hearty voice, "Sometimes, it can be hard to accept such a thing! Here is what can happen if you don't know how to deal with this!" The screen rapidly changes, and shows a small goose in a grass field by the lake. The duck is eating…cabbage…with a knife and…spoon? Then, it takes a bite about as big as its very head and chokes, making weird Daffy Duck noises. Then, all of a sudden, it explodes, completely without warning, with a deafening roar, and I actually flinch. Kuwabara laughs insanely. He is the only one.

The sludge that was the goose rockets up into the air, and V-curves back to earth. In a second, the gunk hits the ground where the duck was standing earlier. I can see its heart still beating, which promptly explodes on impact.

I stare. Kuwabara still thinks it's the funniest thing in the world.

The screen switches back to the guy.

"If you've bitten off more than you can chew, you can crack, like that Canadian goose did! To prevent this, you must know the four steps of acceptance. First, is denial!"

A poster board comes out of nowhere from the right and hides him from view. It looks like it is held by someone with a bad case of Parkinson's disease.

On this said poster is a crudely-made ClipArt showing a tiny, pink, blimp-like cartoon character being given a piece of pie by a huge hand that is equally pink and round. The cartoon character is staring at it and shaking it's tiny round head.

The poster disappears, and Mr. Drab is back.

"Denial is when you cannot accept something, and it gets so bad that you try to pretend that it doesn't exist. Like this man with the pie. The waiter, the hand, has just given you a peach pie instead of an apple pie. You are so distressed, you decide to pretend that it is an apple pie, but you still can't bring yourself to eat it. It is a very confusing stage in your life."

Oh my God. –Excuse me, oh my Satan!— I'm gonna croak! A peach pie! _Noooooooo…_

"The second step…avoiding the prospect!"

Another poster board with the weird guy on it. Now, it shows him in a corner of the room and the peach pie in the other corner.

"Now, this pie is now causing the man intense suffering. He avoids it, hoping something will happen to it to make it go away."

Is this pathetic or what? They used possibly the worst analogy for this in all of heaven—excuse me, hell.

"Step three…anger!"

Poster board with Mr. Blimp and the pie. The pie is now on a table. The man is holding a hammer directly above the pie. He seems to be steaming out the ears more than that damn pie is.

"The man has now realized that running away will not solve anything, so he is now attempting to beat the evil out of the pie."

At this, Kuwabara dissolves into a fit of laughter. I try to look away, but find that I cannot. It's funny, in a stupid sense. I've seen kindergartners do better presentations than this one. Maybe this guy was dared by his best friend to make this.

"And the final step is acceptance! This is when you realize that refusing to believe in, avoiding, or getting angry over your problem won't solve anything, so you accept it and learn to deal with it!"

Back to the ClipArt. The man has thankfully disposed of the hammer and is now smiling at the pie in a very forced way, although he is still not eating it.

"And that's how you overcome problems! Well, that's all I have, so remember not to beat your pies with hammers, eat them! It's such a waste of ingredients!" He gives the thumbs up, which looks really weird on an old man and the screen blips out entirely.

In the room, the lights go back on.

I look at the rest of them. Hiei looks like he was just subjected to the Chinese water torture. His right eye keeps twitching and he seems afraid to move. Kuwabara, of course, has the face of a very small child after watching Barney, but Yusuke looks like he's going to hurt someone. He's clenching his arms very tightly. Kurama and the aqua-haired girl look less indifferent than before, but it hasn't taken quite as much a toll on them than it has on Shizuru. She looks the worst out of them all. She is puffing on her cigarette so hard that she's probably turned her lungs into craggy rocks. Both of her eyes are twitching, and she looks more eager to kill her brother than anyone else in the room.

Yusuke stands up, calling attention to himself silently. "Kuwabara…that…that was…completely irrelevant…painful to watch…who the fuck was that guy anyway…why did you have to show it?"

"Aw, Yusuke, come on! It was enlightening for us all!"

"…enlightening in the what not-to-do when watching an ACCEPTANCE movie. A half hour of my time down the drain, just like that…horrible, sickening, shit…"

"Didn't you guys like it?" He asks slowly.

"NO!" Yells Shizuru, jumping up from her chair and screaming right in Kuwabara's face. "NO, AND IN FACT, THAT WAS THE MOST FUCKED UP THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE! THAT OAF WAS BLEEDING SHIT! WHY THE HELL DID YOU MAKE US WATCH THAT? EVEN IF IT WAS GOOD, WHY DID WE NEED TO SEE A MOVIE ABOUT ACCPETING THINGS?"

Kuwabara is cowering under his sister's furious stare. "I thought that it might be useful to Kara, since she won't accept that what we're telling her is real, you know?"

Shizuru's eyes pop. "YOU ARE SO STUPID! IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE'RE RELATED! GET A GRIP, KAZUMA! THE ONLY THING THE GIRL'S GONNA ACCEPT NOW IS THAT WE'RE LUNATICS WHO THINK THEY WORK FOR GOD!"

Kuwabara would probably crawl under a rock if he could. Or should I say, Kazuma.

"GOD, YOU ARE A FREAKING FANATIC—"

"Shizuru—" Say five different voices at once.

"SHUT UP!" She roars. God—Satan. Go to anger management much?

But a change has come over Kuwabara, and he nods at the standing Yusuke. He suddenly jumps on her and grabs both of her arms, twisting them behind her back. She yells even louder as Kuwabara drags her out of the room.

I stare at them. "What the hell is her deal?"

"Anger management issues. Once she starts, she can never stop. Lately, it's been getting more intense, so I think that we should just leave her be for a while." Says the aqua-hair. "I'm Yukina, by the way."

Oh yeah. I think she told me that. I shut my eyes.

They talk among themselves for a while, and unlike Hiei, they are doing a good job of masking their voices. I can only pick out random words here and there that don't mean anything.

I open my eyes, and Yukina speaks again. "Well, um, we realize that this has probably been stressful for you—"

"You have no idea."

"We apologize again for the video. Kazuma is a bit strange sometimes. It has to do with his mental state, which is most similar to that of an ape."

I almost laugh. It appears I wasn't too far off.

"But the movie—guys, I think I need to tell her something?" She says to the rest of the group. Yusuke nods and the rest of them all walk out. The iron door shuts behind them. Yukina gets comfortable and continues to talk. For some reason, I'm not obligated to be mean to her. She's too much like a little kid. I always did have a soft spot for munchkins. And she does seem kind of sweet. It radiates from her.

"But the movie did have a point—oh, yes. May I call you Kara?"

I grunt.

"Well, Kara, the movie had a point in that sometimes it can be so hard to accept things of the supernatural. I imagine that being told you are to steal something from God must be very hard to comprehend."

"Yeah, it really is. Because it's so obvious that you're all lying."

She sighs. "I guess you're still in denial. I hate to see what your anger will look like. I don't expect you to believe us anytime soon. You're a human. Only a human."

"As opposed to what?" I ask.

"A demon."

"Aha." I say, smirking. "I guess that's good to know. I'm not a hell's angel."

"No, seriously. Demons do exist. Our actual problem deals with this infestation of them."

I sigh loudly. "Just what are you here for? I'm not going to have another talk with a guidance counselor. Did you see what I did to Keeko?"

"That's Keiko. And yes, I know how you tricked her. I promise you that I won't make the same mistake as her. And I'm not another guidance counselor. She was human, and so that was what made her a guidance counselor. I am not."

"You're a demon." I say with a little laugh.

"Yes."

"A rose demon? A daisy demon? A—"

"An ice demon if you want to get specific. Like it matters. I am here to prove to you that what we're saying is true with my demon self."

"Oh. So, another magic trick. I guess you want me to believe that Hiei is a fire demon."

"Very good."

"Yukina, I'm not buying it. I know that transformation was just a trick of the eye, or something like that. Magic doesn't exist."

"You're right again. Mankind in their quest to explain how the planets move, and other such phenomenons, dreamed up magic. It's a myth, quite frankly. The thing that they tried to explain with magic is raw power, also known as the Spirit Energy. The force that formed the universe, and yet the force inside a human soul. This is the 'magic'."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, well, you're a really eloquent speaker and all, even with that squeaky voice, but you'd better bring out a better one to make me believe in you."

"Kara, I'll make this as simple as I can. You wanted to know why we needed you, right?"

"Of course. And nobody told me."

"It is because you possess vast quantities of this force in your soul."

"But magic doesn't exist. You said so yourself." I say blankly.

"But power does. That's what I've been telling you. This power is what makes you pass beyond the other great thieves, Kara. This is why it can only be you."

She stands up and trips slightly on the end of her pink kimono. "Again, if you believe me not, I don't blame you. I wouldn't believe me either. But before I go, I want you to take a good look at your body. Ask why you healed so quickly. Good night."

As she totters out, she switches off the light and shuts the door behind her with a very small click. As soon as she is gone, I shut my eyes and move each of my limbs, one by one.

I feel…great. In perfect health. I noticed before, but I was still too shocked. How _did_ I heal so fast? One of the guys said that Yukina did it. It must have been the Yukina that just talked to me. Do they maybe have incredible medicine along with all their advanced technology?

Yes. That'd be it. But something doesn't feel right about that. With every medicine comes a side effect or two. It's a fact of life. But like I said, I feel perfect. No nausea, no headaches, no nothing. I feel great.

So then, what happened? One of them said I had been out for four days, right? So, maybe they gave me medicine and I got side effects when I was asleep.

But they'd have to give it to me intravenously. Wouldn't I have woken up?

Maybe I was comatose…

But I think that the strangest thing of all is how quickly I healed. No normal medicine could do that. It is just not possible. Four days and all those injuries…they'd have to be about two hundred years ahead of their time in medicine. And none of them are very smart. I don't see how they could have developed that.

So, does that mean that Yukina was right?

No, no way.

But what else could there be?

Lots of reasons. Lots of reasons.

They might have a research team.

No, definitely not.

So then…

Was I truly healed with power?

Are Yukina and Hiei really demons?

Just who are these people?

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A/N Hope you likey! Please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH, as usual, but I soon will! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Chapter 15: Still In Denial**

_Who are they? Who are they? Who are they? Who are they…?_

I wake up. My god, I can't get away from that thought for even a minute. _Who are they_? My mind keeps echoing. I still have no idea. Part of me still thinks that this is some elaborate hoax set up by them so that they can have some fun with me, the disgraced thief. But another part is asking questions. Maybe, maybe not. I don't know which side to pick. It's either rhyme or reason. Imagination or what I know must happen.

And that Yukina…well, I guess I ought to thank her if she healed me. Not your average everyday demon would—

No. Not demon. Innocent little cretin. Innocent…

How can there be so much warmth in someone obviously so evil?

I really need to find out so much more. I think I'll ask _her_. For some reason, I find talking to her much easier than talking to Keeko. Also known as the Konnichiwa girl. What does that mean, anyway? It sounded like an Asian word, but I'm not sure. She definitely is. Almost all of them look it. Even that red-eyed creep Hiei. Except Yukina. She looks glacier-born. What is with all of the hair, anyway? Yusuke and Keeko and Shizuru are the only ones who look human. Kurama has unnaturally red hair, and Kuwabara has that neon orange mop, and Yukina has hair that'd make you faint. These people have no sense of reality. Whoever heard of an Asian with aqua hair and dark purple eyes?

Internally, I slap my brain. My god, you'd think I was racist. So what if they're Asian? It doesn't change the fact that they're all scumbags who would take advantage of a dying girl. I'm not one of those people who think all people of one race are the masters or whatever. Die, Hitler.

It occurs to me that I was dying. On that night, when I made my final escape attempt. How did I push on for so long? I mean, sure, it wasn't skipping through a field of flowers, (in fact, rather excruciating pain occurred), but there's no way that I could have gone on for so long. I'm no medic, but I should have fainted long before that.

Whew, guess I have really good stamina after all. Could that be linked to the reason that they want me so badly? Could that be linked to the reason that they're all psychotic maniacs who think that they're demons?

They…they can't be demons. I just don't care. I will not let them brainwash me into thinking that such things actually exist. It's just not possible. Never. Never in a million years. They are crazy. End of story.

I almost sound like I'm trying to _convince_ myself.

But maybe I can make sense of their insanity. Somehow, they have found out about my talent for stealing, and they want to use that to their advantage. They want me to steal from "God". Who could that be? Some sort of billionaire? Bill Gates, maybe?

Actually, if it were Bill Gates, I'd do it. For the money and the extreme challenge.

I smile to myself. I have it all figured out. I'll do their stupid job, whatever that is. Then, they'll let their guard down, and I'll disappear under a new alias. I kind of like Violet. No, I'll become Chrystal. Chrystal Winters. Oh my god. What a pretty name. I'm going to have everyone start calling me Chris. Forget boring old Kara. Chris.

"Chris." I whisper to myself. "Chris. Chris. Chris."

"What?" Asks a small voice.

I practically faint, and open my eyes. _When did I shut them?_ Yukina is back.

"How do you _do_ that?" I ask, irritated. No one should be able to get past me with my skills at noticing things. "How do you just appear out of nowhere?"

"I don't. I walk. Who is this 'Chris' you're yelling about?"

God. Was I really talking that loudly? "Uh, a…a name I kind of want."

"It's nice. _Chrystal Winters._ What a gorgeous name. Plenty of crystalline ice." (A/N She _would_ like it).

"That's what I love about it. But…" I stare in horror. I'm losing it. How did she know that was the name I wanted? I never said the whole thing out loud…right?

"But what?"

"N-nothing. Did…did I really say the whole name out loud? You know. Chrystal Winters?"

She shakes her head solemnly. "No. But I can read—"

"My mind." I finish sarcastically. "Honestly, I thought you were different from the others, but you really aren't. You're all the same. When will you eject yourself from this fantasy?"

"It's not a fantasy!" She says loudly. I suddenly notice that she lacks the strong accent that all the rest have. Maybe she _is_ different from them.

"I don't know what it's going to take to get you to understand, but I'll make sure you do. No…" She calms down back to her normal scaredycat self. Was that pathetic outburst seriously her angry side? "I'm not going to do what Keiko did and play counselor. I know for a fact that it only angers you. Me too, actually. I'm just going to have you talk to me completely one-on-one. Tell me what you think of this all."

"Oh, I'll tell you. It's a freaking crapload of sh—" I break off, and wait for her to stop me. She does nothing.

She actually smiles. "You can say it. And Kazuma—no, Kuwabara said you lacked emotion. It's all buried under you. I respect that you hate us. _I_ hate us."

"Do you really." I say, as a statement rather than a question.

"I hate how we think we're invincible. I hate how we were never prepared for anything of this great magnitude. I hate our arrogance."

"I hate you all for those exact same reasons." I say.

She laughs like the tinkling of a bell. "I'm sure you do. But, there's one aspect of this that's been troubling me. Your story of that final night, when Hiei and Kuwabara chased you. You said that you floated in a white pillar of light and Hiei could not touch you within it."

"It was a hallucination." I say coldly. Why did I even mention that? They'll add it to their fantasy!

But somehow, deep down, I trust Yukina, if only a little bit.

"Somehow, I doubt that." She says. "I'm not asking you to believe me, just to tell me what has happened. I am an expert in spiritual healing, Kara, so please, tell me what happened when you were in this glowing pillar."

I sigh. I guess it can't hurt to tell her, and I have no energy left to be sarcastic. In fact, my memories are all becoming slightly confused. "Hiei—no, Kuwabara waved his light sword at me, and then Hiei threw a sword at my head and I was really, really wounded. Then came the burst of pain. It was all consuming, like fire inside of me, and every now and then, it would relent, but I grew so weak after each one…and I think Hiei was the one doing it. Eventually, Hiei would have killed me with the pain or with a sword, and as soon as I knew I was dying, I…"

"You what?"

"I felt really desperate. And the came another attack of pain. I was dying, Yukina. Then, the light came down and covered me. No more pain. I felt in complete bliss. I felt so real, so painless, so…everything that's good in life."

Yukina nods. "Thank you for telling me. But, did your wounds heal or anything?"

I screw up my face in an effort to remember. "No! Light can't heal anyone! But I did feel great when the light finally stopped, and I can't remember if it was still really painful or not…"

I open my closed eyes. Yukina looks very excited. "So it _was_ a healing light…tell me. Did it…sing at all?"

"Sing?"

"Like, you felt a very nice voice in your head, singing?"

"Maybe. I really don't remember much. It's been so long."

"I see. Well, Sakara Azhura, you certainly are a special one. Now, you've done your part. Would you like to rant to me?"

"You know what? I don't. I want to eat."

"Eat?" She looks confused. "Oh, right, humans like food. What shall I get you?"

"Anything. Honestly, did you guys feed me anything at all when I was asleep? I am not going back to anorexia."

"I'll be right back!" She says, over-cheerily. She runs outside in that ridiculous pink kimono, tripping all the way. She shuts the door loudly behind her.

ARGH!

I can't believe they didn't even feed me! Did they expect I'd live off the light in this room?

I AM NOT A PLANT.

Nor am I any more a plant demon, if I want to play by their rules.

I try to rattle off the shackles again, but they stay put. I wonder what she'll bring. Maybe a cheeseburger?

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Yukina's POV:

I open the door hesitantly. Four people stare at me expectantly.

"I found out some things." I say, as I race into, not the cafeteria, but into our meeting room. It's basically a little wooden box with a table and electricity. Pathetic for the renegade spirit patrol.

"Are you serious?" Says Kuwabara, the one who is madly in love with me and thinks I feel the same way. Not.

I push him aside. "Where's Yusuke? He has to hear this."

"He had to go into intensive care again." Says Shizuru. "It's the pain. You should look him over soon. Maybe your power can do some good. This time, it's the left arm. Only one more leg left before he's a vegetable. First the neck, then the head, then the other limbs…"

"Hush." Moans Kurama. He looks pretty pale.

Keiko isn't there. I guess she's with Yusuke. Hiei just sits in the corner by himself.

I shake my head. Yusuke'll be fine. He always is, with or without my help. "Well, I've figured out that the pain that is killing Yusuke is the same one that plagued Kara."

"Really? How?" Asks Shizuru. "Couldn't it just be a demon disease you gave her or something?"

"No. Be serious. She described the exact same complaints; only the pain was in her whole body. Koenma—"

"Don't talk to me about him." Grumbles Kazuma, cracking his knuckles. It's a very annoying habit of his. "That little asshole is gonna get a serious spanking when I'm through with him…"

"So, both of them have been attacked by Koenma. Do any of you know what this means?" I ask.

"Other than the fact that Koenma hates her?"

"Exactly. And who else has he attacked?"

"Yusuke. Only, less so."

"So that means that Koenma considers Kara as great a threat _or greater_ than that of Yusuke's." Says Kurama slowly. "Of course. We could have found her so long ago if we just followed that trail…of who exactly he was attacking. We thought they were simply random killings of thieves…but they were all thieves with a huge amount of anti-demonic energy."

Shizuru says, "Then…that means that Kara really is the one we need. And Koenma knows it. He's taking out our leader and…our secret weapon. It really is her."

"Thank God we have her protected as of right now. We really need to do the same for Yusuke." Says Kurama.

"_He_ was the stupid moron. _He_ stepped outside, thinking he could handle whatever Koenma threw at him. He can't." Says Hiei, startling everyone. "He'll never learn. Not even he can beat a God gone evil."

"Then what's the point of Kara?" Asks Shizuru. "I've been kept—we've _all_ been kept way in the dark about this whole operation. Sure, the girl has got that rare power inside so that demons can't touch her, but that's nowhere near enough to beat Koenma. He's not even a demon."

"I've deduced that she's just to get that "item" that Yusuke keeps talking about. It's so annoying how he thinks we don't need to know. When did he become so smart? But anyway, Kara's not even supposed to be seen, let alone fight. As Yusuke once put it, 'she fights like a barnacle with a brain tumor.' We only need her stealth. That was why he chose her. She really is our only hope in the first steps to take Koenma down," says Kurama. "If she were to be made useless, the operation would be useless."

"Kurama, aren't you a great thief yourself?" I ask. "Couldn't you just do it? I really don't want to keep Kara here for too long if it turns out we don't need her out of the blue. Memory modifications are really tricky."

"As a demon, I was a great thief. Good days, they were. But not in this body. It's all I can do to access my plant power as it is. Sure, I probably will assist her. Even the best can learn from others. But I can't do it alone. Fifteen years as a human is a very long time for a demon."

"So, if Kara doesn't get into the spirit world, the whole thing's shot." Says Kuwabara.

"That is indeed what I just said, ape."

Kuwabara shuts up. Honestly. I wish I knew why he always freezes up at the mention of King Kong. It must be something really stupid, too.

"But if we even get her to the Spirit World without getting caught…it'll be a miracle," says Kurama. "Pure, dumb luck. She doesn't even believe us."

"Yeah, and she's _still_ in denial!" I say. I sit down in a chair next to Kazuma, tripping yet again over my stupid kimono. I hate wearing this thing! "Most of the time people break and accept such a thing pretty soon after it happens, but not her! I have no idea what to do anymore! We've tried almost everything. Hiei, she _still_ thinks your demon transformation was a magic trick. What I'd give for her anger stage already…"

"Yeah. The first step is to make her believe and possibly accept us. How to do that…" Mutters Shizuru.

"She's refused everything." Says Hiei thoughtfully. "I've never met a human that could blow off a demon transformation like mine. I mean, how would we make the fire…?"

Shizuru smiles, and so do I. We suddenly know how we can work this. Shizuru beats me to it. "That's exactly right. She doesn't believe any of _us._ She still thinks that we're crackpot lunatics with a psychotic fixation on her stealing abilities. But suppose we forced some power out of _her._ How'd she blow it off then? We know that she's capable. She healed herself with that light back in the tunnel. If we can somehow get her to do something like that again…"

"…Then we could finally make her believe in us, and have her willing to help us." Says Kurama. "That actually might work."

"That's a very good idea. She'll never be able to deny the existence of the Spirit Patrol once she realizes that she's exactly the same as us." Says Hiei.

That's wonderful praise coming from my brother.

I stand up and trip again, but this time, I catch myself in time. "I'd better go get Kara her sandwich. You guys start brainstorming ways to squeeze it out." As I walk out the door, I grab the keys to Kara's cell shackles. "But I think I have just the thing."

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A/N Please review! You've all been so great already! And fan, don't worry, I'm not going to discontinue it. Does everyone like the way it's going?

And don't bug me about why Koenma is evil. I'll explain later! Confusion is the whole point of this fanfic! And I know not everything was explained here. Like, exactly _what_ Kara can do. Well, I gave you about half of it here. Demons cannot touch her without going into extreme pain. Why that is?

I'll go into that later, during the Knowledge Revolution! Hey, I might make that into a chapter title…


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH!

**Chapter 16: Oh Good! The Anger Stage**

Finally. There she is.

"What took you so long?" I ask angrily. "Should I expect my next meal in another year or so?"

"Just eat." She says quietly. "I had other obligations to attend to."

"More important than feeding your _hostage_?"

"In a word, yes." She walks over to me and presents what appears to be a plain ham sandwich on wheat bread.

"Is this all?" I ask.

She sighs. "Yes, that's all for now. You'll get more if your behavior improves."

I sputter violently. "WHAT! My behavior? What, I'm starved if I'm not a good girl?"

"My, you're a perceptive one."

"WHAT!"

Yukina sighs, and moves closer. "Just be grateful that we won't starve you should you stay the way you are. This ham sandwich is the basis. At the very lowest level of your behavior, this is all you'll be getting per day. With your improved behavior ascends the quality, quantity, and frequency of food. It is so easy to control humans with food, you know?"

"What am I, a lab rat? Or, lab human?" I didn't understand most of what she just said.

"Yusuke seems to think you are. This ham sandwich—"

"Yes, I know all the guidelines of the Cult of the Ham Sandwich already. Can I eat it yet?"

"Not the way you are. Listen, Kara, I know all of your tricks. I'm going to release the arm shackles. If you try anything _questionable_, like what you did with Keiko, you won't like the result." As she puts down the plate with the sandwich on the floor, and then reaches up; I notice a tiny silvery sparkle in her hand. The key!

Well, chained like this, I haven't a hope that I can take it from her. Beware the girl wearing the fluffy pink kimono. She's just tall enough to reach the arm shackles. She fiddles with my right wrist standing on the tiptoes of her plain Japanese sandals. I swear, everything about this girl yells ancient Japan, and I'm not a fashion critic. How old is she? Can't be more than 15.

I hear a clink, and my wrist gains a lot more leverage. I drop it down, and she does the other one. Both of my arms are now free. I stretch happily. "That feels good."

"I guess it must, after so long." She says. She checks over the link securing my waist to the table and the leg irons as well. She must really be worried about my escape with all the new freedom. I'm flattered. Finally, she kneels down, and gives me the sandwich. I take it from her greedily and start to chew really, really hard. I'm actually pretty scared that she might change her mind and take it away.

OH MY GOD. I have never tasted a better ham sandwich than this one. It, with all its hammy and bready goodness, is flooding my tongue, flooding my empty stomach, flooding my blood. I _am_ the ham. I _am_ the bread. That entire flavor, out of one simple sandwich, all that joy…

"MMMMMMM. MMMMMMMMMM. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" I'm not even aware that I'm making any noise. It's only the sandwich and my smacking lips.

After about three good-sized bites, I finish it off. "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

"Kara, it's a sandwich," says Yukina. She looks a bit worried.

"And a damn good one at that! Give me another!" I say happily. I stare at her. For some reason, she gets this strange look on her face and blinks a lot.

"Why do you like food so much?" She asks.

It's such a bizarre question that I snap out of my hammy dream. "Food?" I repeat, afraid I didn't hear right.

"Yes." She says, sitting down in one of the armchairs and getting comfortable. "What is it about food that makes you love it so?"

"Uh, maybe because I like to stay alive." Man. Is she from Neptune?

"No, no. I know humans need food."

"Are we going to have another talk of the demons?" I say. "You're not telling me that you don't need to eat?"

"That's right on the button, actually. And I'm quite interested in it. It seems like a good hobby."

"Eating is not…not a hobby! Eating is…eating is…" I struggle to find something to express just exactly what it means to eat.

"Well, being a demon, it is a hobby for me. Why do you like to eat?"

I shake my head and cover my eyes. "I can't hear you, crazy woman."

"Why do you like to eat?"

"Cause I like food!"

"Why do you like food?"

"Because it tastes good!"

"There we go! What is it like to taste?"

I stare at her in abject horror. "You can't taste?"

"No. Demons can't. It's pathetic."

"Yeah, it is. Taste is kind of like smell, only on your tongue. And—ugh, never mind. You're not a demon. Of course you can taste. Why am telling you this?"

"Because I'm a tasteless demon."

"If by tasteless you mean clothes, then yes, you are tasteless. Who dresses in a kimono these days except for celebrations?"

"Me."

"Why?"

"Because it's my custom. The custom of my people."

"Oh, bah humbug you. No one does that."

"The ice demons do."

"Oh, is that so?" I ask. "Let me guess. You all live in Antarctica, playing with the penguins and harbor seals all day?"

"Don't insult our village!"

"I'll insult it all I want. You don't care. You can't hurt me anyway."

"You are about to be stuck with ham sandwiches for a month!" She says loudly. Now she is getting angry. Who knew that she had this side?

"Bring it on, cult leader. My god, you have got to have a better comeback than denying me crappy food."

"Oh? Would you rather be starved?"

" 'Course I would."

"That can be arranged."

"Aww, is the delusional ice demon getting her panties in a twist? Unless you've got traditional Japanese underwear on, too. What is that, a rag?"

"How—how dare you!"

"Yes, how dare I speak the truth. The truth hurts, doesn't it, pretty? Everything about you is old-fashioned, right down to the loincloth."

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

"SOMEONE WHO CAN EXPOSE YOU, FREAK!"

"EXPOSE ME AS WHAT? A RIGHTFULLY IRRITATED POWERFUL ICE DEMON?"

"NO, I WAS THINKING ALONG THE LINES OF STUPID FAKE-HAIRED LUNATIC!"

"YOU'RE THE LUNATIC! YOU STARTED IT!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING? YOU STARTED IT WITH THAT STUPID KIMONO!"

At this, Yukina pales. "I may not like my kimono, but it was my mothers, and I wear it with pride. And you…you just insult it!"

Yukina begins to glow all over with blue electricity, looking quite a lot scarier than before. Is that murder I see in her eyes?

Then, her eyes glow bright sapphire as well. Her hair whips around with an imaginary wind.

I hold my hands over my eyes. _It's just a magic trick…just a magic trick…movie special effects…_

Is it?

Then, the room gets very, very cold. Even though my navy blue robe along with my navy skirt they gave me are thick and heavy, this cold goes right through them. The lights go out as the temperature drops. The only thing lit up is Yukina. Like a Christmas tree.

Then, the blue fire seems to be concentrated into small, sharp things. I recognize them a moment later to be ice. Ice is creeping up her arms. Her hair turns into a wild mane of ice, still frothing as easily as before in a definitely nonexistent wind.

She yells and places her hands, palms towards me, directly in front of her. She spreads out all the fingers. Then, the ice shoots forwards towards me. I can see how just how sharp those ends are for myself, right up close. Then, they hit me in several, about 5, huge shards. I can feel them cutting my neck, my arms, and all the rest of my body. I feel…blood trickling down my neck, really unpleasantly. Yukina burns even more brilliantly and then, her fire dies.

All in an instant, the lights come back on, and so does the heat. I realize that I'm shivering in my robe. Yukina is completely unmoving. She looks…frozen. Then, her movie-effect-fire turns orange.

Forget her. I check myself over. I have several shards stuck in me. I can feel two cuts in my right leg, one in my right arm, and one sticking out of my windpipe. Shutting my eyes I reach up my arm to pull out the ice. My fingers grasp thin air, and then, become fiery.

I jump. How am I on fire? That was ice!

It doesn't hurt. I look at myself. There are four different places where pinpricks of fire lick my body. But…it doesn't hurt. Am I on some kind of sedative?

I watch, as this red fire goes out. I look at the cut on my arm. Nothing. Not a trace of the things is there. They were solid ice, and I still hurt really badly, but it's nothing like I thought it'd be. I'm not breathing through a hole out of my neck, for instance. And—

I jerk my head up as Yukina screams. She really is aflame. Something happened with the movie set. She screams again. I'm completely powerless to help her.

Someone runs in. Someone big. It must be Kuwabara. He grabs her and throws her on the ground, yelling as the fire licks him too. Both of them start rolling frantically to put out the fire. After about ten seconds, the flames go out. Both of them lay, smoking, on the ground. Yukina's hair and robe have both been badly burned, and so have Kuwabara's hands.

Finally, several more shouts echo down the hallway, and Kurama, Hiei, and Shizuru run in quickly. They look at Yukina and Kuwabara laying there, and then at me accusingly. Really, I'm just as shocked as they are. What was that? How did Yukina catch on fire if she was making the room into an Arctic world with her special effects. Could that blue electrical current have caught her on fire? Was she even icy at all?

"What happened?" Asks Kurama, bending down to pick up Yukina. Kuwabara stands up on his own.

Ironically, Yukina is smiling. "Guys, I'll be fine. Just put me down for right now. But, I did it. I made her release some power."

"Really?" Asks Kuwabara. "What kind of—"

"Say nothing." Mutters Yukina, thinking I can't hear. "I'll tell you when we're outside."

They all nod, and walk out. They didn't even pay any attention to me. As they shut the door, I look at my wounds again.

The fire is out. They aren't even smoking. I can only see slight slits where the blades penetrate me. The pain is almost nonexistent. Did—did I imagine that whole thing?

And what do they mean, I released power? That was all an illusion! It must have been! When people catch fire, they burn. Period. And the fire definitely spreads.

Right?

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Yukina's POV:

"Are you sure you're okay, Yukina?" Asks Kurama, setting me down in the chair.

"I will be." I say. "But that was some energy fire."

"How did you get burned?" Asks Hiei.

"Well, I thought about some way to get her power to react to me. And then, Kurama, I remembered you. Remember when you broke her leg with your whip?"

"Yes. It caught flame, and although it was raining, the fire stuck around. Kara escaped while I tried to put it out."

"Exactly. I guess you know that must have been a spirit fire."

"Yes. But it was only recently that I figured out why that was. It's her power. Demons can't touch her without feeling major pain. And the same goes for demon weapons. They both share the same genetic codes."

"Right. Kara was the cause of it. But I don't think she's put that together, being dumb as a brick like she is to any form of mythical power. So, I decided to use that same thing. Of course, it was at cost to myself," I gesture to my burns, "but if she believes us, it'll be worth it. I staged a very annoying conversation about why exactly humans like food."

Shizuru snorts and tries desperately to cover it up with an obviously fake sneeze.

"Eventually, she got really mad, and I acted like I was really mad too. Eventually, she insulted my kimono, and I got "furious" because it was my "mothers". Then, I went demon."

"Really?" Asks Hiei. "You haven't done that for ages. You must really care about making her believe."

"Well, I had to make it seem real, or she would have known something was up. So, I went all icy, and fired Shards of Winter at her. She made a noise like a squashed chipmunk and I watched all four of them sink into her arm, leg, and neck. Then, the fire came. The Shards all caught flame with a spirit fire, and I also did, instantly. I stopped my demon self from coming completely all out. Then, I—the pain was incredible. That flame just eats away at demons. I couldn't help screaming. That part wasn't an act. That is definitely no ordinary Spirit Fire. That is her power. The one we need to take Koenma down. It's a completely anti-demonic force."

Everyone else is silent for a moment. "Is Kara hurt?"

"Not really, no. I wasn't aiming to hurt her. I was aiming for her to burn them, the Shards of Winter. And that she did extraordinarily."

Kurama shrugs. "I just hope she doesn't blow it off again as some sort of movie special effect."

"If that happens, she'll have made go through all that pain for nothing. I'll kill her myself. We can find someone else."

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Kara's POV:

There's still nothing. _Nothing_. How is this possible? It can't've been a dream. I can see the dried rivulets of blood running down my arm, leg, and neck. But the shards are gone. What really gets me is that although they may have melted from my body heat, there is no water from them. Was that dry ice that she fired at me? Maybe it just gassed off into the air.

But then what was the fire? I've always really liked magic, and I like to learn the tricks of one, even though I'm not very good. I have no idea how they'd make such real looking fire project onto me. It makes no sense.

What happened back there?

If it wasn't a magic trick, (there's just no way that they could have pulled it off) then what just happened?

Why can't I find any way to explain this? Why does the only logical reason left lie in…believing them?

No. No, I won't accept it!

But I always run into dead ends with my own methods. Next time they try to tell me something, I'll allow it. Maybe I'll understand more. I'll decode the hidden messages in their fantasy.

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A/N Review! Next chappie everything is explained. So sit tight!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Reviewer Thanks! I'm sorry; I don't have a printout of the reviews right here with me so I'll just thank everyone in general. I'm not singling anyone out. Just thank you!

**Chapter 17: Why They Need Me…And Everything Else**

_What happened back there? What on earth did they do to me?_

_I'm going insane. I need to know something soon before I completely lose it. I need to know how they're doing this and why. How did they make Yukina's eyes light up? How did they make the fire? What exactly is it they want me to steal? From who? Why? Why all of this elaborate getup? Why all of this confusion? Why all of this pain?_

"SOMEONE GET DOWN HERE!" I yell suddenly. I don't hear any footsteps or anything. I scream it again with twice the volume.

"YUKINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Wait. Why am I yelling for _her_? She tried to kill me with her knives that looked like ice! I mean, they must have been knives, right?

There. Now I heard a nice big thump, like a certain blue-haired someone, in an overlarge pink kimono, falling out of her chair. I hear the sound of uneven footsteps coming closer and closer. That's her tripping. Finally, the door screeches open. Yukina's big purple eye peers in. "What's wrong with you?" She asks angrily, stepping in completely and tripping. "I thought you were getting attacked or something!"

"I am. In fact, I'm in the middle of an extreme mental breakdown. I don't know what's going on here, Yukina, but I have to know. I'm dying here, of knowledge deprivation. Constantly strapped to a table, unmoving—"

I'm astonished at just how relieved Yukina looks. She looks like Christmas came early. "You know, you have a great vocabulary for someone who never went to school."

"TV." I answer. What a strange thing to say.

"What do you want to know? I'll tell you anything."

I stare at her, and my eyes actually fill with tears. Stunned, I blink them away angrily. "I want to get out of here." I whisper. "I want my life back. I want you to let me go and…and never come near me again. I don't care what it takes. I want a restraining order. Let me go. P-please…" I sound pathetic and I know it. I really am breaking down.

Yukina sighs sympathetically, but she still looks somewhat happy. "I…can't do that."

"Why not?" I ask, and once again, I get dangerously close to crying. I deepen my voice to mask it. "What do you need me for? No one gives me straight answers. You just want to make me suffer. You don't n-need me to d-do a job! You…are just sick p-people!" Oh my god. I refuse to cry. I refuse. I will not break down in front of her. I won't.

"We didn't give you straight answers because you wouldn't accept them, Kara." She says quietly. "But now, I think it's about time someone told you. You've been kept in the dark for a very long time. You have every right to cry—"

"I'm _not_ c-c-crying!"

"I didn't say you were. But you have every right to. Will you listen to what I have to say?"

"Is it any more of this demon crap?"

"Yes. Oh yes. Lots more of this demon crap. Because this is where we begin, Kara. This is why we need you. This is why you had that pain back in the tunnel. This is why your spirit energy encased my shards and made me burn."

I blink. "But…it was special effects…"

"It was not special effects!" She snaps. She sits down in one of the six armchairs. "Jeez, Kara, how can you explain away a spirit fire like that? You know it's real!"

"IT CAN'T BE REAL!" I say. "DEMON POWERS AREN'T REAL! DEMONS AREN'T REAL!"

"There's one sitting in front of you, with a whole lot of demon power up her sleeve." Yukina closes her eyes and turns her hand up so that the palm faces the ceiling. It begins to glow blue, and then, a small, icy fire erupts in the center of her palm. It's…so cold…how can there be such a thing as cold fire? It's exactly like the kind I know, only much more ominous.

My teeth start shattering. My mind is so fixed on that…that _thing_ that I can't see anything else, even though it all remains unchanged. Yukina stands up, and walks towards me with that fire, ever closer. I shrink away from her. The temperature drops ever faster.

"If this is the only way to make you see…" she says sadly. She takes the final step toward me, flips her hand over, and grinds the fire into my forearm.

Almost instantly, my body starts to shake. It's…it's _so cold…_ Even though it's only on the arm, I am completely freezing up inside…

Then, 3 seconds later, Yukina yelps and backs away from me with the fire, which promptly goes out in her hand. The room temperature majorly goes back up. I remain there, shivering.

Yukina sits back down as though nothing had happened. "The cold will wear off in a little bit, Kara. But do you see, now? I am an ice demon. That is my power. To conjure the cold fire and to heal with it."

"Spe-spe-spe-spe-special effect." _Damn_ these chattering teeth!

"Oh really?" She asks. "I suggest you take a closer look at your arm."

I look at it, and see nothing. Only a tiny red mark to show for all that agony. But then, I see a circle, lined with my blood. Inside is a blood written message. _Farnsuga_.

"Nothing much but a strange word, right?" She asks. "Well, look at this." She raises her hand to me.

I only see a black singe mark at first. But then, I focus on the picture, and I see that her hand has indeed been blackened. Her entire palm was burned. But in the center of that is a circle red with blood, exactly the same as mine. Written inside that circle is _Muyusan_.

"_Muyusan_ means evil in Japanese." She says. "_Farnsuga_ means good; a positive force. To a demon, you are an angel."

I start to breathe very fast.

"This is what happens when a demon touches you. Both of you get a marking, but only one of you, the good, comes away untouched. That's you, Kara. If you are still skeptical, look at the leg where Kurama whipped you that night."

I sit there motionless. I knew it! I _knew_ it!

"Kara. Kara?"

"Kurama _is_ Mr. Hair after all…" I'm shocked. Yukina tries to say something.

Then, I lose my mind altogether. "KURAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I scream.

This time, a figure sidles right into the room. It appears he was eavesdropping the whole time. "What is it, Kara?"

"_YOU_ BEAT ME—_YOU_ BROKE MY LEG—AND _YOU_ BLAME _ME_ FOR ACTING OUT? AND NOT BEHAVING AND NOW ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO STARVE ME IF MY BEHAVIOR DOESN'T IMPROVE AND WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE ME, HUH? I HAVE EVERY RIGHT NOT TO BEHAVE! I HATE YOU, MR. HAIR! _YOU'RE_ THE ONE THAT DOESN'T DESERVE THE HAM SANDWICH!"

"Who is Mr. Hair?"

"YOU! YOU, YOU IMBECILE! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO BROKE MY LEG WITH THE WHIP THAT CAUGHT FIRE! AND SHE'S TRYING TO SAY THAT IT WAS _MY_ FAULT THE BLOODY THING BURNED YOU! YEAH, WELL, THAT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE! LOOK, THERE'S NO MARK ON MY LEG!" I role up the navy robe on the side of my left leg. "SEE? NOTH—"

I look at the leg. There's a horizontal white scar where the whip hit. In the center if that is a slight scar of a circle. And in that circle—

_Farnsuga._

I blink and rub my eyes. I look at it again. _Farnsuga._

Kurama pushes his bangs out of his eyes, and sits down next to Yukina. They wait for me to talk.

"Mr. Hair." I sneer, trying to sound disdainful. "Don't deny it any longer."

"I _am_ the one who whipped you." He concedes. "But why are you calling me—" Yukina whispers something in his ear and fingers his tangled red hair between her long fingers in front of him. His eyes widen. "My hair isn't _that_ long!" He says indignantly. "And it's there for a reason!"

My eyes are wavering in and out of focus. I hate Kurama. How dare he do that to me?

But still, what are they saying? That I made the fire?

Then, I go into pathetic Kara breakdown mode again. "I hate you all." I blubber, still somehow staying above sobbing.

Yukina sighs. "At least now you know the truth. Will you listen to why it's truth?"

I stare at them, very afraid all of a sudden. I can't explain it. I don't want to know the truth. I want my normal life.

"Let me explain everything." Says Kurama.

"Yukina can." I say angrily. I already promised myself I'd listen to them, but I like Yukina more than him.

"Okay. And please don't interrupt. This is what all started it. The battle between the demon world and the spirit world over the human world."

"_What_?" This already sounds like baloney.

"Don't interrupt! Listen to me. There are three worlds. One is the human world. This dwells on earth, and is the only one with living beings. You are a living being from that human realm. Then, there is the spirit world. Consists of both heaven and hell, and thus, spirits. Ruled by King Enma, technically. The demon world is the last, and the most deadly, and has entirely evil beings. This is where Kurama, Hiei, numerous others, and myself originated, and we are proof that evil can change. Now, the human world is oblivious to the other two, being obsessed with technical objects, but the spirit and demon realms are constantly at war over who gets control over the human world. You follow so far? They are fighting over it because the only way to get out of the spirit or demon world is to acquire a living human body, a vessel. This is what Kurama did. He entered an unborn human child and is now a demon in a human body. Hiei and I are still pure demon. This is reincarnation, to live again. The spirit world has prevailed so far in this territorial conflict. Be thankful that this is so. This is an unending war. Now, sometimes, demons like Kurama, Hiei, and myself escape from the demon world and help the spirit world. Evil changing to good. We have never known a spirit to turn on the spirit world, thus, good changing to evil, though. But that was broken after Koenma."

"What's a Koenma?"

"He's the son of God/Enma. It means 'little Enma.' Sort of like the Jesus of Christianity. When King Enma embarked on a journey to gather intelligence on the demon world's movements, Koenma was left in charge of the spirit world. No one minded. He'd done it all before. Well, several years ago, 4 to be exact, when we were all about 14—"

"Hang on. I thought you were all already 14."

"We just said that in the hopes that you would be more comfortable if you thought we were the same age as you. Really, we are all in the range of 17-21."

"That's another lie you told me. May you all go to hell. Excuse me. May you all go to the icky half of the Spirit World."

Kurama shakes his head while Yukina continues. "Koenma, one day, went on an expedition with Botan—she was a weird perky Spirit Guide who rode an oar, and was also his devoted servant—to find an item that was said to be very powerful and would help us keep down the demon world."

"Whoa. Botan was a 'spirit guide'?"

"Yes. She helped lost souls to the afterlife. Anyway, they searched for months and months, and then, they finally found it and brought it back. It seemed that with this item, we could finally crush the demon world, eliminate all resistance, and have complete access to the human world, to continue our spirit reincarnation and prevent demon reincarnation once and for all."

I blink. Somehow, I understood all that, even though she is definitely not a storyteller.

"But then Koenma turned on us. We don't know why. He killed Botan and took this item away. He now works for the demon realm, constantly chasing us down. Once his allies the Spirit Detectives, we are now the RSP—the Renegade Spirit Patrol. Koenma leads the demons, fighting his own father, King Enma. Now, with no leader, the spirit world is crumbling, no matter what we do. Because King Enma is fighting day by endless day in a far off realm and Koenma is a traitor to the cause, our own Benedict Arnold, we left an old woman named Genkai in charge of it. But despite her reliability, she can't do it. She is only human, not a goddess. She has enough on her plate trying to protect us all from Koenma. But again, she can't do it all. So, we decided that the only way to do it was to take back the item, and possibly our leader too. The item has given them such an amazing edge…although Genkai keeps sending in reinforcements to the demon realm, we're getting killed. With that item on our side, we will pull it off and crush the demon realm."

"What is this item—"

"Shut up. So, we decided to invoke the best thieves in the land. Our very own Kurama and others. But they were all unsuccessful. Kurama was the only survivor out of the demon/spirit team of 200 we sent there to take back the item. They were all destroyed by the hordes of demons there. Kurama is a hugely powerful fox demon thief, but not even he could do it."

"Yeah. He was too busy _stalking_ me!"

"We'll get to you in a minute. So, we figured that the only way to pull it off was to get a thief who was somehow immune to the attacks of these demons. No spirit alive can do this. This is why the Gods allied with the spirits eons ago. Spirits are unbelievably weaker than their enemies the demons and the gods took pity. Anyway, with the spirits and demons out, we looked to the humans. We learned that there were a precious few gifted with the Shakra, a very rare power in one in a million humans. Shakra is an angelic force that repels demons. Kara, demons cannot touch you without feeling extreme pain."

Kurama picks up. "This was why you get the markings when you are touched by a demon. My whip caught fire even though it was raining because it was a Shakra fire. When the demon whip touched you, you got the marking and your power punished the demon whip. When Yukina threw the ice at you, she caught on fire and you got the marking in every cut."

I look down at myself. I do see very, very tiny circles on each of my leg and arm slits that undoubtedly say _Farnsuga_.

"When Yukina tried to light you on fire, she touched you, and failed in catching you on fire because she already _was_ on fire."

"I knew you hated me." I hiss at Yukina.

"I don't hate you! This was to prove it all to you! I knew it wouldn't hurt you!"

Kurama talks again. "But not all humans are thieves. In fact, the vast majority aren't. They are not experienced enough, anyway, to do what we are asking them to do. There were only three in the world that had such an ability and were great thieves. One was the Irish burglar Cedric O'Mayo, or something. Koenma killed him even before we set our sights on the Shakra people. The next was the Zairian burglar Sensiah Morisha. Koenma got to her before we did, and you can guess the result. Our last hope was you. The American/Japanese thief Sakara Azhura."

How did they fond out about my Japanese heritage through my mom's side?

"How did you find me?" I ask.

"Genkai once asked you to steal a heavily guarded painting for her. We knew about your power then, but not about your skill.

_Of course. The lady had dark pink hair. She was with them!_

"Why didn't this Koenma person kill me like the other two?"

"It wasn't like he hadn't tried…numerous times." Kurama sighs. "We're pretty sure that your dad just wandering in was no accident."

My eyes widen. I'd completely forgotten that I'd killed my own father with my own doorknob. I bite my lip so hard that I cut it. I get the metallic taste of blood.

Yukina starts talking again. "Your father was all the way down in North Carolina one minute, and with you the next. We checked this to make sure that it _was_ foul play. Koenma must have transported him to your house. Koenma knew he was a drunken executioner, and he played that to his advantage. He tried to kill you with your own parent, assuming that you wouldn't fight back. Koenma has a sick mind."

"B-but he was wrong." I say, again feeling the urge to bawl like a little kid. "I-I did kill him. I'm a murderer."

Kurama nods gravely. "You may be, but you still did what was right. You put him out of his misery. People like that don't deserve to live."

"But he was still my father!" I burst out. "He was all I had left! And I—I just killed him…" I put my face in my hands.

"You did what was right." He says again. "You exercised your only option. You cannot be blamed for that."

I cast around desperately for a change of subject. "What do you mean, numerous times? How else did this Koenma try to kill me?"

"When you were in your cell, you recall that the lights suddenly brightened as though trying to melt you?"

"How could I forget?"

"That was him, or at least, one of his electrical demon minions."

_Hiei and Kuwabara _were_ going to say electrical demon! Where the hell did they come up with electrician?_

"He found out where you were. After that, Hiei gave you a new shield to guard you from demons, which was always in effect while you were in the cage. But after you ran for the second time, Koenma, watching for you, hit you with major attacks of the nervous system."

"Yeah, I was pretty damn nervous."

"No. As in, nerves. His demon minion gave you those pain attacks. The demon could do it because even though you have the Shakra, he wasn't touching you directly. But you saved yourself. You used your power. You completely prevented him from reaching you, and you healed yourself. The pillar of light. That was your power. The angelic energy that doesn't permit evil forces through it, particularly that of demons. It was like a netting guarding you. But, if Koenma himself had tried to attack you, I think you would have been killed. He is not a demon. He's a god."

We sit in silence for a few minutes, while I soak up all of this. They seem content to stop. I'm not. In case they're getting an idea about stopping, I say quickly, "I can pretty much infer that I'm the one to steal this 'item' that Botan and Koenma found. What is it?"

"We don't know. Koenma's certainly not talking. Only Botan knew, and she is long dead, poor thing."

"Well, if Koenma could have kicked my ass if he wanted to, how am I supposed to beat this God?"

"You aren't. You need to slip past him and retrieve the item without being seen. We don't plan to confront him. We just hope that without the weapon, he will either come to his senses or be considerably weakened."

"Ah. So I don't have to fight him."

"If you don't fail."

That doesn't sound good. "And if I fail?"

"You almost certainly die a painful death, the Spirit World crumbles, and demons get reincarnated in humans so that the human world destroys itself, and it just becomes an extension of the demon realm."

"Ouch."

"This is a very real, serious problem, Kara. Everything you needed to know is right here in front of you. We omit nothing. Whether or not you'll deem it true and assist us is another story. You can save the human world or you can stay stuck in your fantasy. We are not the ones in a fantasy, Kara. It's you. Decide whether you'll believe us or stay in denial, thinking that it will all go away. It won't. You are truly our only hope. We won't let you go so easily."

Yukina nods. "Kara, please, we're not pressuring you. Do what you think is right for all. I'll go get you another ham sandwich. You've been very good this whole session."

The two leave together. I am left staring behind their retreating backs.

It can't be true.

And yet…

It is.

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A/N: Finally. She believes. It's a miracle! Yeah, Botan's dead, and Genkai's pretending to be a ruler. Yukina, Shizuru, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, Kurama, and Hiei are all in this place. Koenma is a traitor, and Enma is out there somewhere. Did I leave out any characters? I mean, besides the bad guys, like Touya, Jin, etc. Review please! Oh, and soccerchic91588, yes, most people portray Yukina as being a dimwit that's only good for healing. I wanted to stop that. That's why I made her one of the main characters. Do you know that there's almost _no_ Yukina-based fanfics? There should be more! She's unselfish and must be _somewhat_ smart, if at all. Thank you for reviewing!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH.

**Chapter 18: Koenma Attacks**

How can it all be true? How can this be? How can everything I've ever known be such a big lie?

I really don't want to believe them. I hate being caught off guard. That was why stealing was such a passion for me. I was _never_ off guard. I kept _everyone else_ off guard, but I never did it myself. Now, I don't know what to think. Part of me is still skeptical, but it's all but vanished. Somehow, I know this is why they're doing this. They need me to steal this mysterious item. And they won't let me out of here until I do.

It's so strange and alien—so true. How can it be true?

It just all fits. I can't explain it.

This all makes sense. But really, the only real evidence I have (and need) are the circles labeling me a _Farnsuga_—an angel, when a demon touches me. But I know. Now I know that I am being held captive by demons and humans—working side by side. When did such an unlikely alliance occur? If the demons want the living for their reincarnation and inevitable escape from the demon world, why on earth don't Yukina and Hiei kill everyone living here and get a true human body? Moreover, how did they escape from the demon world if they don't have a living body?

There's definitely more to this than I can comprehend. If it is even true.

No. Forget it. Like they said, this is just denial. My anger was when Yukina and I fought over why humans like food. This is finally the semi-acceptance part. I can't keep denying this. There's no way that it can be false. It all fits.

I think the main hurdle now is actually convincing myself that I want to believe it. I don't. Definitely. But it would be kind of cool, if it were true. I'm supposed to steal from the new self-appointed leader of demon world and get out with the item alive. Wouldn't that be amazing if I could? Stealing from demons…now that is a klepto's dream come true. If I came back out alive, if I could say that I beat God with my skills…oh. Now that it just too delicious to comprehend. All that joy…

But at the same time, it will definitely be very dangerous. It doesn't matter if I have Shakra power. As long as they don't actually touch me with a tentacle or a weapon, demons can still attack me indirectly. If they ever find that out, I'll be toast. Unless I can heal myself with the light pillar again.

God, I'm getting a migraine. I can't believe it. I can do all of this stuff. Why did I never notice it?

I guess I never really had the reason to go all Shakra-ish. No demon that I know off ever attacked me, thank God, and if they did, they probably didn't live to tell the tale.

What exactly is Shakra, though? Some kind of positive force, I think they said. That's why I am marked "angel" whenever a demon touches me.

But I'm not an angel! Why was I given an angelic gift is all I do is break God's ten commandments?

1. Do Not Kill: Hah. I just killed my own parent. That still bothers me.

2. Do Not Steal: (laughs) I crack myself up.

3. Respect Your Mother And Father: I don't know what the hell happened to my mother, but I can't necessarily respect her if I don't know where she is, and Daddy got his head cracked open by me. Again, another shot commandment.

4. Do Not Lie: I've been lying by not turning myself in to the cops. My God, I really am going to hell.

5. Do Not Covet Your Neighbor's Ass/Wife: Who the hell wrote that? He must not have been all seeing because we all sure get a kick out of it present-day. I can safely say I was never jealous of my neighbor's donkey _or_ their butt, neither so was I jealous of their wife (hopefully) but I do want their riches and I take them. Double violation. Haha, if you change around the syllables of Ass/Wife, you get asswipe. Do not envy others asswipes. Heh. God, I really do have a sick mind after all. Are all kleptos like this?

There are others that I've undoubtedly violated as well. I only remember the obvious and/or funny ones. I sigh. Am I going to go to demon land because of how bad I've been when I die?

Because the world truly does hate me with a flaming passion. Imagine. The Japanese Jesus tried to kill me. The Bible has been killed by all accounts. Jesus is not allowed to turn evil! For one thing, he resisted the evil temptation demon and got hanged for it. Or was it crossed? I don't know anymore, because it's been so long since I gave religion any thought. But anyway, the thing was that he revisited evil.

I gasp. I have it.

"YUKINA!" I yell.

Wow. This time she was very fast. It's like she teleported. She dangerously rattles the plate that has another ham sandwich. Goodie. "What?" She asks. "You can't be that hungry."

"I just realized why Koenma turned evil."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, Koenma, hereby referred to as Jesus, died for our sins. It figures, you know, God kills his own kid because he's pissed at the bad people. But anyway, after we killed Christ, he got pissed off at both his dad and us for doing that, so he finally rebelled. That is why he fights his father day by day. It's vengeance."

Yukina blinks slowly. After a moment's pause, "No."

"Why not?"

"Koenma didn't die for your stupid sins! He was never living! And he never wanted vengeance either! There was nothing to get vengeance for, unless you count a whole board of morons most unfortunately named the Unbiased Spirit Jury, and then, he could have just kicked them off the squad. Who is Christ?"

I gasp. "That's right. I guess Japanese are not primarily Christian. So, what are you?"

Yukina gives me another weird look. "What religion? I'm not sure. I am generally very open-minded to them all."

"Really?"

"I assure you of that. Enma is just the leader of the spirit world. He encompasses all religions, I suppose. He always found it strange that you humans all thought him about 300 separate beings. All religion is basically one and the same, except, they may be polytheistic or monotheistic, many gods or one god. I can't really answer that, whether he is the only and religions like that of the ancient Greek are false. Enma is just the king. There are probably separate cavities for other gods in his department—"

"Gods have _departments_?"

"Of course! How do you think they manage the living realm? Oh, there's lots of things for us to do. Like formally declare war and sue each other. So yes, I can imagine that some of the leaders of the compartments can be considered Gods and Goddesses. It just depends on whether or not they are formally recognized by the religion."

"What about Atheists?"

"Why on earth are you asking me these questions? How should I know? Kara, I'm not even a spirit."

"Are Atheists false?" I ask again.

Yukina sighs heavily. "No, not necessarily. Of course there has to be something that manages the living realm. All humans know that. They just see Enma as another Heaven official, not a king, and so they say that there are no true Gods or Goddesses, just many managers."

"So, if they trust science rather than religion, that still means they are the same as all others?"

"All other _what?_"

"Religions."

"Technically. They just look at things a bit differently—"

"So, Enma as a king may or may not exist?"

"D-depending on the religion…"

"So, Enma himself may not exist?"

"Wha—NO! Of course he exists! He's the almighty power!"

"But atheists say he doesn't exist as an almighty power, just as an official!"

"He _is_ an official! The very highest in rank!"

"So that makes him king?"

"Technically!"

"But atheists don't believe in a king. So, he can't be the highest official and a king at the same time. Enma is a false king. We'd better work on dethroning him."

"No! He is a king!"

"Tell that to an Atheist."

"But Atheists are wrong, then! Enma _is_ a true king!"

I smile sweetly at her, and she realizes what she just said. So much for open-minded Yukina! I was wondering how hard she'd be to crack. Now I know. They are all prone to cracking. I made Hiei crack with telling him he was bisexual. I made Kuwabara crack telling him he was an ape. Yukina's weakness is what exactly Enma is. Hahaha. I wonder what Kurama's weakness is?

Yukina suddenly laughs. "I remember my brother telling me about you and that uncanny ability."

"Wha-what?" I'm ruined already!

"That thing you just pulled on me. Prove something that is completely opposite of what I mean. You really are a natural. Why do you do that?"

I sigh. There's no use pretending. "It's fun to crack people. I dunno. I've always loved to do it. And I usually was able to. I started because once I tried to stiff a waiter on the tip. He caught me and showed me a sign: Tips Are Essential To Our Waiter's Well-Being. Or something like that, anyway. And this short little man was all pissed off over it, so I turned around the sign completely and in the end, he couldn't stop me. I think I caused him permanent brain damage, and I didn't have to pay." I laugh. "And then there was the one when the scumbag mistook me for a prostitute and started coming on full throttle and I made him run away with my words chasing after him. It was really funny. I think that was the one died two days later when he stepped into traffic. His gang buddies said that all he talked about was the 'mean whore'. Really. People who join gangs are weird. They rat on you. And—why are you looking at me like that?"

Yukina is gazing at me with one of those weird relieved expressions like she did when I said I wanted to hear their side of the story. I realize now that she was just happy that I was ready to accept them. What is this happy face for?

"Oh…nothing." She says, but the relief doesn't die from her face. "I'm just so happy."

"Why? I didn't get raped that night?"

"Yes. Well, no. It's you. Because Koenma—"

There is a loud snap like a gunshot. It came from my right. I snap my head in that direction. I see nothing. It must have been beyond this room.

Another snap. I actually jump, and so does she. And then, a scream of a bad machine erupts unceasingly. We wait several seconds, and the sound only intensifies. I put my hands over my ears, but the sound is not blocked.

"What is that?" Asks Yukina in her now-considerably-squeakier voice. "I've never heard anything like that…"

"Did something break?" I ask, now worried myself at her expression. "Like, it wouldn't be a support beam, right?"

At this, her eyes widen in panic. "The oxygen." She whispers. "No…Yusuke…"

She jumps up from her chair. "Stay here." She commands. "If you get any voices in your head…no, never mind. You're coming with me. I'll protect you."

"Yukina? From what?" I ask.

"Hush." She puts down the plate with the uneaten ham sandwich and grabs a key from the inside of her baggy sleeve. She leans down for my waist iron, fumbling in her panic. Finally, she undoes that, and now only anchored by my feet, I have to grab the edges of my table to stop from falling forward. She does the right leg. I fall to the right and tenderly put my foot on the ground. She does the left leg. I drop completely, tripping and almost falling over. She catches me in time.

I stand up shakily, and find that almost instantly I can't walk. I've been so immobile for so long…

I barely have time to get used to being upright without the help of metal when she grabs my left hand and starts dragging me through the door. With her other hand she holds her kimono so she won't trip. On our way out, I grab the ham sandwich.

I look around. The halls are very white and completely square. About twelve-by-twelve feet floor and wall.

"Bite?" I ask, shoving the sandwich in her face.

"No!" She says. "Kara, this is more serious than anything…"

"Fine. More for me." I say, stuffing half of it in my face.

"Be serious!" She yells, and I stop being a pain just out of surprise. No one ever yells at me. They just don't.

I finish my sandwich.

"Rar are we gowig aah why?" I ask, my mouth still stuffed with sandwich.

"To stop that horrible popping." She says. "That was the oxygen. For Yusuke. I guess you know he was unconscious?"

I swallow hastily. "Uh, no! No one bothers to fill in the hostage!"

"Kuwabara said he told you, that runt! Ugh." My god. She's really scared and that's making her mad. "You know how Yusuke had lots of casts?"

"Yeah. Hard to miss." We fly down the hall ever faster.

"Well, Koenma was attacking him with the same pain that he attacked you with in the tunnel."

"Then why can't I be completely incapacitated too?" I ask, putting on a fake pout behind her.

"The anti-demon healing light. You healed most of yourself. There wasn't much left for me to do. Now, Yusuke cannot heal himself, and there is only so much that can be done for a human with demon power. So, he just keeps getting weaker and weaker. Koenma and his legion of demons are so much stronger than Kurama or I. We are the only healers around here." As we're moving, the sound is increasing. It's sort of like standing next to a screaming fire alarm for an hour. It does things to you.

"If he keeps getting attacked, why aren't I?"

"He keeps going outside because he thinks he can handle the pain. He's _so_ stupid. Anyway, we built this fortress a while back so Koenma can't get in. Recently, though, Yusuke took a major fall from the pain because Koenma super-centered it in his heart when he went outside again. He went comatose as a result. Until he wakes up, he needs a special oxygen tank to live. And that's what popped. I could tell. But Koenma found him and the rest of us with that stupid action. He's going to kill him now that he knows where he is. And I think we just found his action."

"Why didn't Koenma just attack Yusuke directly and finish it? I mean, the oxygen tank?"

"He can't. We have a special guard on Yusuke. But not on the oxygen tank."

"But he's your leader! By all means, leave the thing keeping him alive prone to attack!"

"So you can imagine what would happen if he dies." She says grimly. "Almost there…"

We take a sharp right and come across a very tall brown door that is slightly ajar. She flings it open with all her might, and she runs in, still dragging me by hand. The screaming of the machine climbs two notches in volume. I'm getting a headache.

"Damn it!" She says, as no one else is here yet. It's so loud that I can barely hear her, but I can still that she really is panicked. She runs to the sleeping dark-haired boy in a low, simple, white-sheeted cot, finally letting go of my hand. She kneels and instantly places her pale hands on his green-shirted chest and almost immediately lights them with that same blue fire that I can now admit to be icy demon power. The air gets cold again, but not like before. She isn't attacking now. She's healing. And it's a much nicer kind of cold. The blue slowly spreads to the rest of his body. I can see her wincing because of the noise.

The boy stirs slightly. It's definitely Yusuke—vegetable form. I walk closer to him. He's sweating badly, and there are veins sticking out on his head and neck. There is an air mask over his mouth and nose, but I can see no cloud of just oxygen in it. The stuff in it is off-white. He has no air. And the machine seems to be under his bed. It's making the earsplitting racket that I heard earlier. A machine malfunction.

"Remove that mask on him!" I say loudly. "He should still be able to breathe better than he is now!"

"We can't!" She yells. "It's stuck there so we can be sure it doesn't come off!"

"WHAT KIND OF THING IS THAT TO DO?"

"THE FUCKING MACHINE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO MALFUNCTION! WE DIDN'T COUNT ON KOENMA FINDING US!"

"That's what happened? He made it break down?"

"YES! Damn it…damn it…" her power increases, and it gets colder. But…Yusuke's condition isn't changing.

I hear huge thuds on the door and shouting from the other side.

"Kara, run out to the window and tell them they aren't to come in. If we keep the door shut, there'll be less chance of another attack." She sounds considerably calmer.

I run up to this tiny round window and scream it at the top of my lungs. From the lone window, they nod and keep staring in. It's Kuwabara, Shizuru, Hiei, Kurama, and lastly Keiko, who looks especially tearful. What is it with that girl and Yusuke?

I run back down. Yukina is doing nothing to help despite her valiant efforts. She's only straining herself. Yusuke keeps worsening.

I bend down and scurry under the bed, lying completely flat facedown. My ears are dying as I get closer, but what choice do I have? I weasel past Yukina's kneeling body and get closer to the machine. It looks exactly like human technology: a transparent tank of what appears to be nothing sitting on a metal base. The large tube runs from it to Yusuke's mouth.

So where is the leak? Defying what my stricken ears are telling me, I feel all around the tank. It feels completely solid to me. No cracks, no crevices, no nothing. How exactly did Koenma make the oxygen disappear?

I can't find anything. Instead, I feel the cord. It seems to be fine as well. I feel all the way up. I get out from under the cot and don't release my hold on it. I finally stand back up, (major relief on my ears), and follow the cord with my fingers again. Finally, moving around Yukina, I finally meet Yusuke's mask. Nothing on the actual cord…what about the mask itself?

I cup my hands over the mask, and let my nerves explore it. It seems fine.

I sigh. Back to square one.

I drop back down underneath. There must be something I missed!

I feel all over the tank again, employing all thief skills. Nothing. Did I really think something would just appear?

Unless…

Maybe he didn't break it.

Maybe he just substituted the gas inside…

Of course! Yusuke is breathing poison!

In a panic, I violently try to claw the poison out of the machine, stabbing it again and again with my fingers. Nothing. The tank is made of rock.

I try the cord again, dragging myself back out and trying to tear the cord apart. If I can stop the gas from coming through, then I can stop his death.

Nothing. Also made of rock.

"HE'S BREATHING POISON!" I yell at Yukina. She turns to me, shocked. "KILL THE MACHINE COMPLETELY!"

She looks at me, and then nods, bending down under the cot. She doesn't even flinch when she gets near the machine. I continue to scrap the cord. Nothing.

Last chance. I go to the mask again and start trying to pry it off. Nothing. What can I do to pry it off?

I reach inside my body again. I check viciously to see if anything is on me that can pry this off his face.

All I feel is gray robe. I don't have that lock pick anymore. I try to pull off the mask one more time with my bare hands and nothing happens.

It struck me right then how completely useless I was. All I could do was stare at this poor guy's face in horror. He's turning blue, and many other shades as well. And there's nothing I can do.

Nothing. This is the first time I can't do _anything_. I saved myself from my dad. I robbed every New Jersey Bank. But I can't save this poor soul from a death by gaseous poison.

This isn't fair. I was never prepared for something of this great magnitude.

Yukina stops playing with the machine down below, climbing out and shrugging harshly. She tries to heal him some more. I'd love to help heal him, but I don't know the first thing about it.

I stare at the dying boy.

Yukina exerts the last of her energy and promptly falls over in a dead faint, her blue hair swirling around her on the floor.

Now officially very scared, I whirl around and open the door so the others can come in. They do. Really, really fast. The Long-Legged Mr. Hair shoots in first, Kuwabara right behind him. Hiei sidles in as though we have all the time in the world. Shizuru and Keiko are the last, because Keiko is sobbing her heart out into Shizuru's shirt.

I want to scream at her to get over it. I am pushed to the very edge of the room. Kuwabara screams something at the dying Yusuke about how he's not allowed to die because they have to fight. Hiei stays off to the side, his stony expression unreadable. Shizuru tries to comfort Keiko.

Kurama yells, "EVERYONE OUT!"

This is such unusual behavior coming from him that everyone complies. Kuwabara scoops up Yukina and they all go out. I wait, though.

"Go!" He says. "You'll catch it on fire again!"

The whip. A memory of that night comes back to me. The lean man with the whip that I caught on fire. The anger at him comes back. "I'm staying."

Kurama glares at me, and grits his teeth, but I don't budge. He sighs and turns around. He digs around in his shaggy mane of hair and pulls out a perfect rose. He says quietly, "Rose Whip."

At once, the thing elongates and turns into a long green whip about six feet. Rose petals fall all around him in a lovely, Barbie aura.

Back to the whip. Thorns branch out from its snaky, green body. This was the spiked whip that nearly broke my leg. I can indeed see the fiery singe at the tip, where touching me destroyed its essential plant-ness.

Kurama raises it back, and does that same tiny flick of his wrist. In a second, the whip vanishes, and the tube from the machine to Yusuke's mouth breaks in half. A foul smelling stench fills the air upon impact. That was indeed poison. The earsplitting screech dies, and all of a sudden, I realize that I'm half-deaf. Pandemonium dies. Kurama withdraws his whip back into that rose and sticks it back in his hair. He motions for the others to come back in.

He did it. That whip really did save us after all.

I stare at Yusuke as Kurama is finally able to yank off the mask on his face. Now perfectly fine, he relaxes a bit, but keeps shaking and sweat horribly.

We did do it. We saved Yusuke.

But were we too late?

5555555555555

A/N Evil cliffy! HAHAHA! Review!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't one YYH. I hate saying this.

**Chapter 19: The Plan**

As the last of the gas dissipates into thin air, the rest of the people run back in. Keiko is the first, and she runs to Yusuke's side. The rest follow, also running, but Yukina, who appears to have woken up in her absence, slips on the many rose petals littering the floor. Nobody notices. They're all too preoccupied with Yusuke.

She pulls herself shakily to her feet, she follows the others. I decide to do the same, only to find that I can't get through.

"This looks bad." Says Shizuru worriedly. "Keiko, get a _grip…_"

"Let her cry." Says Kurama angrily. "She has good reason to."

"What's the matter with him?" Asks Kuwabara, stupid as usual.

"Excuse me, let the medic through!" Says Yukina with a little quaver in her small voice. They part to let her through. From what I can see, she puts her hands on his chest like she did before and puts in some of her power again. Finally, she stops making him glow blue, and tries again. And again. And again.

"Yukina, just what happened?" Asks Kuwabara.

Yukina sighs and shakes her head.

Why does that innocent motion fill me with dread?

I walk closer. Peering above Yukina, I see Yusuke laying there, as though asleep. I reach over her head and put my hand over his mouth. I feel…no breath.

"He's dead, isn't he?" I say flatly.

"SHHHHHH!" Hisses practically everyone, and, with a shock, I see why. Konnichiwa Girl officially loses it in Japanese, which I have crudely translated about what her words _probably_ mean.

"HE CAN'T BE DEAD! HE _CAN'T_ BE! AND NOW…NOW HE JUST KICKS IT? HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? Oh, Shizuru…" She cries into Shizuru's shirt even harder, laying her hand on Yusuke's dead shoulder.

Kurama sighs, and gives Yukina a coded look. Yukina stands and ushers everyone out, but actually leaves me there with Yukina. I can hear Keiko half-screaming down the hall. When they are finally far out of range (38 seconds later), and the door slams shut behind them, Kurama instructs me to sit down next to him. I do.

"I hate you." I say bluntly, not caring about what he thinks.

"I know. But I really don't care. You are going to pay attention now."

"No, I'm not."

"Kara…there are reasons why only you can know what I'm about to tell you. Pay attention or I'll give you a seed to _make_ you listen."

I have nothing on him. He wields all the power. What choice do I have? I already know he'll do it if he has to. I wait for him to talk grudgingly. He takes a deep breath, and begins. "Kara, I want to thank you for trying to help Yusuke. I saw it all from the window. But despite your power, humans have many limitations."

"I know it didn't work, okay?"

"It was your effort that counted. It means a lot to me that you cared enough about him to try to save his life."

"Bleah."

"No. Kara, it's much more than bleah."

"How so, Hair? He's still a mushroom."

She stares at me. "Kuwabara didn't tell you Yusuke's story either, did he?"

"Nope."

"About the car, yes. Back when Yusuke was a fourteen-year-old delinquent, forging along a very bad path that only the worst of us take, he decided to save a child that went after a ball that rolled into the street. A car was headed for him, and Yusuke took the blow for the boy, shoving the child out of the way. The impact killed Yusuke instantly."

"If you say so…" I can believe this. I will! It's no stranger than anything else.

"Well, since Koenma, back when he was on our side, didn't foresee Yusuke's death for such a noble cause, given his less-than-admirable history, there was no place in heaven or hell for Yusuke to go. So, he was given the option to come back to life. Yusuke ran around a bit with Botan, the spirit guide, and was eventually returned to life with the help of a spirit egg. Don't ask what that is. So, that was how Yusuke died and was reborn."

The reality hits me. "So, Yusuke isn't gone! He'll just get his spirit back to life!"

He looks at me. "How I wish that were true."

I shake my head. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, he was given only given a second chance by the unity of Botan and Koenma. But now that Botan is dead, and Koenma has turned, he will be given no second chance."

"So…without Koenma or probably Enma, he really is gone." I stare at the lifeless boy just lying there before my eyes and feel a strange sense of loss. I only ever met him once, and although he was a clearly pain-ridden adult, I could see a spark of mischief in his eyes. No wonder he was a delinquent.

"I fear he is truly gone."

I stare at him some more.

"I only told you this rather than the rest of them because you are the only one who needs to know. Because his death concerns you."

"Why? I barely said two words to him."

"Because Koenma will come after you next." He says solemnly. "He tried to kill you with pain. He did the same to Yusuke. He failed both times. So, he took out Yusuke's only life support, and thus, Yusuke. You will be next. Now our leader is down. True, I will be the new leader now, but I am not Yusuke."

"How did he get to Yusuke's oxygen tank?"

"We don't know. This fortress was supposed to be guarded from him. It wasn't. Somehow, his power got into the building itself."

"Why didn't he finish me, too?"

"He probably tried for Yusuke first."

"But now I'm right where Yusuke was. If he wants me, he can have me."

"We don't know. The only way that I can speculate that this could have happened was the open door. Yukina says that you two ran into the room but the door was unlocked. He probably unlocked the door and substituted the oxygen with the poison."

"What poison was it?"

"It doesn't matter. What does matter is that it was powerful enough to kill Yusuke, and that it could strike again. If my theory is correct, the only reason you aren't dying is because of your power, and maybe because the door is now shut, not letting the power get in."

"But all the times the door was open…"

"It is a theory. It does to have to be true."

"You'd better believe it. If Koenma wanted me, he could have had me by now. Plain and simple."

He huffs loudly. "Well then, we can agree to disagree, right?"

"Whatever."

Kurama shrugs and pulls out that mirror again. He speaks into it, "Kuwabara" and Shizuru's face pops up. That's very cool. Is this some kind of communication system?

"Meet in the box." He says clearly.

I don't even have an urge to mock him. I'm too sad about what just happened.

Kurama stands up and motions for me to follow him. He admits me through the tall door first. "I need to make sure the door is shut properly." He says, so matter-of-factly that I want to punch him.

He points me down the hall. "We're going to meet and talk this over."

I sigh, and take one last look at Yusuke. His convulsions have finally stopped.

Why did this happen to him?

I allow myself to be ushered, but I don't let Kurama touch me. So, finally, he gets in front of me, and walks really faster. His speedwalk is a lot faster than Yukina's. It's hard just trying to keep up. Honestly, girls would be jealous of how this guy looks. He looks so unbelievably feminine, with those long legs, long hair (even if it is a tangled mess), and lovely, girly face. He even has a girly power! _Roses!_ Honestly, there's not way he can be a demon. Demons don't look like pretty girls that got a sex change who wield flower power!

Finally, Kurama ambles off towards the left side and opens a plain little white door. I follow him into it.

Upon entrance, I can really see why it's called a box. It's very cramped and has cardboard walls. Everyone else is already assembled in here. Yukina motions for me to sit next to her. I do, and Kurama sits opposite me.

As soon as that happens, Kurama speaks. "Everyone, our worst fears have been confirmed. Yusuke is dead."

I hear another freaky sob/shriek from Guess-Who.

"In light of this circumstance, I am the new leader, and I'm to decide what's best for us. I think that this is nobody's fault. Koenma used his powers to substitute in a demon poison, which killed him. Yukina and Kara, you did a good job, but you were too late when you got there. Two breaths of that concentrated chemical by a mortal without Shakra kills them slowly. If you had gotten it off before you did, he would have died anyway. Thank you for what you did for him, though. Yukina, you made it painless. But, this was no accident. Koenma killed Yusuke."

Yukina blinks very quickly, probably for tears.

"But, no matter, it's only a matter of time before we befall the same fate as Yusuke. Or at least, the humans among us." He nods to Kuwabara, Shizuru, and Keiko. "And the rest of us can be destroyed just as quickly. This place is no longer safe. Koenma knows where we're hiding."

"Where exactly _is_ here?" I ask. I've been wondering that for a while.

"Southwestern New Jersey, of course."

Whoa. Wasn't expecting that one. I thought we'd moved to Arizona or something.

"We have to move out of here. We can't risk another death of another key official. Soon it will be me, and Kara, and everyone else. We are the only thing stopping the human world being ridden amok with demons. If we fall, so does all of earth."

"How are we supposed to do that if we can't even go outside?" Asks Kuwabara.

"Underground." He says. "Kara, do you remember where we kept you before you escaped and we moved here?"

"Yeah, but how far could we have moved, really? Still in SW NJ, right where Alken is."

"We didn't really move. We moved to a different facility."

"Meaning…?"

"The place where you were kept initially and where we are now are part of the same underground base."

"Then why…" begins Kuwabara, "did we need a bus if we're all connected?"

I have no idea what they're talking about. Oh yeah…when they caught me in the tunnel, didn't Kurama leap down and say that he's found a bus?

"It was hypothetical, Kuwabara. You'll notice that we didn't actually _take_ a bus. It was so that if Koenma was following us, he would look to the Alken bus system for us. You do recall that we took another tunnel to a different, bigger, more guarded base?"

"No. Which base was this again?"

"The one we're in."

(The sound of blowing air). "Really?"

Hiei speaks, one of the rare things he does. "Hn. Kitsune, do you really think Koenma would have fallen for that?"

"What's a kitsune?"

"A fox demon. Hiei, we didn't have anything better than that at the time. You weren't sporting any ideas."

"That was because you made me wait in that cellar for two days to make sure that I could hold her down. And you brought her in unconscious. It was a complete waste of my valuable time."

"What valuable time? Did you dance with any men, Hiei?"

Hiei gives me a very good death glare with those tiny crimson eyes, and goes back to his pitiful conversation. "Kurama, if Koenma had wanted you, he could have just taken you."

"I hadn't made my presence known before I attacked Kara. Anytime before that, he couldn't have known my location."

"Don't underestimate a mad god."

"I wasn't."

"Well, if he'd wanted you, he could have got you."

"I know, I know! I took a chance, all right?"

"Leaders can't take chances. Leaders must work in full operation. We can't do this again, Kurama. You'll have to take more hits for the team."

"I KNOW! Gods, Hiei! I know that I'm the leader and I was careless that day."

"And cranky, too." Says Kuwabara in an undertone.

"I was just stressed! So was Yusuke! So was _everyone_! Who wouldn't be, trying to catch someone who could kill you by simply touching you!" Kurama points at me. "We didn't know if she could use her full power yet! She could have killed me—"

"Kurama, that's enough." Says Yukina in a confident voice, startling everyone. "You were careless that day, and we are trying to alert you to that before it happens again. Things are going to be much different with Yusuke gone."

"They certainly will." Agrees Kurama. "I'll try to fill his shoes for us. First, we need to get out of here without Koenma noticing. Then, into the spirit world to make contact with Genkai. Possibly she can help us with step three. Getting Kara into the demon world."

I blink. Put that way, it seems a whole lot scarier. "What? No one's even coming with me?"

"No, of course not! Kurama will come with you. He's a pretty good thief himself, although useless without the Shakra ability."

My eye starts to twitch. "I will not work with Mr. Hair. I won't. He whipped me and I'll—"

"Hate him forever for that." Finishes Yukina.

"Stop sticking words in my mouth! I won't work with Kurama!"

"Look, we'll deal with this grudge match later." Says Kurama. "For now, we just need to get to the nearest spirit portal."

Seeing my blank look, Yukina says, "There are many portals between the worlds. We need to find closest one to get into the spirit world so we can talk to Genkai."

"Why not just use the mirror-phone thing?"

"Oh, a communication mirror? No. It's useless if you're in a completely separate realm from the person you're trying to reach."

"So it's impossible." I say flatly. "We can't go outside because we'll die, but we need to do that to get to this Genkai girl, and so there's no way we can win."

"Maybe not." Says Hiei. "The hardest part will be to locate one. I could probably find one quickly."

"Not quick enough to stop Koenma's God powers. Nothing is faster than God powers, not even you."

"Well, possibly, I could drag the whole team along. Our shields combined should be enough to defend against the power for the few seconds I'd need." Says Hiei thoughtfully.

"No. First we'd need to open the damn thing. After it's opened, it takes several hours to work properly. We'd have to turn it on, run back, then so many hours later, run to it and through. We'd be exposing ourselves two separate times. Koenma won't be merciful if he finds us."

"Is there any way to speed up a portal's opening?"

"Not that I know off." Says Yukina. "I'm sorry Kurama, but—"

"Hiei, do you know where one is right now?" I ask. I might have an idea.

"Yes. There's the one right under the New Jersey Center Bank. In the basement. We don't know why it formed there. Although it's the closest, it's the hardest to penetrate, what with all the security. We were considering the one in the country area of Southern Pennsylvania."

I grin. "Do we have to open the portal or can someone else open it for us?"

"Well, we do. No one else on earth knows about our organization. Not even my mother, Shenai Minamino."

"Demons have _mothers?_ You know what, don't answer that. Is there any way that we could get Genkai to open the portal from the other side?"

"If we had some way to communicate with her, yes. But that's the object here. We can't communicate with her yet."

"Is there some way that we could upgrade the communication mirror?"

"It'd take a while. I guess you'd want it to pass between worlds?"

"Does Koenma ever sleep?"

"I don't know." Says an aggravated Hiei.

"Just listen to my plan. Just imagine that Koenma sleeps for like, one hour a day. We tell Genkai to open the portal for that hour. I get us into the New Jersey Center Bank. And then voila—we get to the Spirit World."

"We still have no way of contacting Genkai." Says Hiei bluntly. "Or anyone else in the spirit world, for that matter."

Yukina pipes up, "You know what? He _does_ take naps. He's still a baby God. Four years wouldn't have made a difference."

"When does he take those naps?"

"I have no idea."

"Would it be at night?"

"Kara, believe me when I say I'm not his nanny."

Kurama holds up a hand as we all start to babble. "You know, Kara might have something there. I really just need to work out the kinks. This meeting is adjourned." Then, he adds, "We move out tonight. Everyone, get your things."

"Are you mad, demon?" Says Hiei, jumping to his tiny feet.

"Maybe, maybe not. But all I can say is that you're welcome to stay if you want to be next. Come on. We'll move out along passageway 13."

"What do we do with Yusuke?" I ask.

He turns to me solemnly. "He's not coming back to life. Leave the body here."

I think I just got my first bad omen. Leaving a dead man. And 13 is a _very_ unlucky number.

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A/N: Review please! I want to know what you think of this!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH.

**Chapter 20: It Might All Come Together**

I walk out with Yukina. I have no idea where to go. I have nothing to get. I never really did.

"What did he mean, he'll figure it out? If we're moving tonight, we have no time!"

"Exactly. We have no time. Koenma could attack us at any second."

"Then, what's he thinking?"

"You're underestimating him, Kara. Kurama is quite the genius around here. Give him some thinking time and he'll cook something up easily."

"Ooh, he sounds dreamy." I say sarcastically with a Spanish accent. She gives me a look.

"Anyway, I don't have any stuff to take either. The men are going to take the food. They don't think we should carry any of it. They are so anti-feministic and they won't admit it. It's sickening." I whirl around. It was Shizuru who spoke. She's also with Keiko. She's finally stopped crying. Thank God. But she's still teary-eyed. What a pathetic Konnichiwa girl.

"We should think up some stuff too, to help Kurama. Concerning the plan that looks like Swiss cheese right now, I mean. Keiko here is smart. I'm horrible at thinking and so is Yukina, but maybe Keiko and you can help out Kurama." Says Shizuru. Yukina gives her a look much like the one she gave me.

"I already am thinking about it. And besides, Keiko only speaks Japanese. How could we discuss anything?" I say indignantly. I can't stop thinking about what we can do, really. It's the klepto in me. It wants to break past those bank's defenses again. That's probably why I love so much my plan-that-will-never-work. "Where is passage 13?"

"Right up here." Says Yukina. She walks faster, and on my right, I see this huge gaping hole in the wall, like the entrance to an abandoned mine. It seems to suck up light like a black hole in space.

Yukina summons some more of that icy blue fire in both of her hands, and holds them out in front of her as our way to see. But, as could be expected, the air gets way colder.

We start to descend into a cold, dark hell.

Yukina is emanating so many glows like I can see perfectly two feet in front of her, which is all I need. As long as she's in front, I won't trip. What I'm worried about is _her_ tripping. I have my reasons. "Yukina, don't trip." I say. "If you let that fire go out we'll never get out of here."

"If that happens, just keep going straight. You'll get to the white room that you were once held, solely straight ahead. From there, you make a right angular left and go all the way up until you run into the wall. If you look up, you will see a square bit of light. That's the trapdoor to get out, and it's closest to the Central Bank. Wait there for the others. They'll get you out."

Keiko says something really fast in Japanese to Yukina. She translates this time.

"She said, it's awful to be human. (Japanese response from Yukina). I asked her why."

Keiko blubbers something or other.

"I could have saved Yusuke if I was a demon, she said. (Jap talk). I said, there was nothing you could have done."

I roll my eyes as Keiko says something else. "Yukina, seriously, tell her word-for-word that she should get the stick out of her ass and grow up. Blaming herself won't bring him back."

Yukina tells her. "Only, Kara, I left out the first sentence. Be sensible. She's distraught. You don't go saying that to people undergoing massive trauma."

"Yes, I do. She's being a baby, and I'm sick of it. I didn't say anything before, but now I want to."

"Kara, shut up. You don't know the circumstances." Says Yukina. "You'd want the same thing done if your fiancée had been killed in such an unfair fashion."

I huff, but silently agree. Wait, fiancée? I turn around. In the faint light of Yukina's fire, I can see that she's very upset. Tears streak her round face. Poor thing. "She must have really loved Yusuke." I say softly. Shizuru looks at me as if she understands.

"She did." Says Shizuru. "They were going to get married after Koenma was defeated. Keiko is eighteen, and Yusuke had just turned nineteen when he proposed. It was hilarious to see him blush…never mind. It was just within the Japanese marrying range. Their relationship had really grown since she first found out about his powers, when they were 14."

I inhale sharply. That must be very hard. Man, marriage…I'd hate to be tied down at such a young age. Keiko really did love him to marry so young. Poor thing.

Finally, I see some bright light up ahead. We must be getting near that room. I was partially conscious for some of the time that they were taking me down to my cage, and I remember the square light getting closer and closer.

Finally, we pass it, and I look inside. I want to see the place that held me captive again. I glance inside. There's still the glass cage, which now thankfully holds nothing in it. But on the desk is Keiko's translator. I guess she left it there when they followed me. I dart inside the open door, and retrieve it. I run back and give it to Keiko. She takes it almost listlessly.

I sigh, and shove it on her face, and buckle the strap behind her head. "I want to be able to talk to you." I say clearly.

She looks at me. "Well, at least I can understand you now. Shizuru, could you give us a minute?"

"Sure." Shizuru takes her arm off of Keiko's shoulders and walks forward, engaging Yukina in furiously fast Japanese. I guess even for demons that it's easier for them to talk in their own language.

"Keiko…"

"Don't say anything. I'll talk." She says, almost angrily. "I don't want to take any crap from you or anyone else, since apparently you hate me. I really loved Yusuke, and I miss him a lot. That's all I'll say. You weren't too keen to say anything to me, so I won't give my time to you either. Leave me alone."

She walks forward back to Shizuru, who starts walking with her again. In Yukina's light, I can see Keiko rip off the translator and cast it on the ground back where I am. Feeling stiffed, I pick it up and jam it in a small slit in my robe, where it sits there, an unforgettable blob, rubbing against my thigh. I feel a prickle of anger toward Keiko, but I realize that it is really all justified. I was mean to her and I used her to get what I wanted. She probably saw hell from everyone for being so stupid as to let me out of my cage. She didn't deserve that. She was just naïve.

I sigh. Well, by discarding the translator, she obviously doesn't want to talk to me, so I won't try to talk to her. I screwed her up and she rightfully hates me. Oh well.

I pass Shizuru/Keiko and walk up to Yukina. Her fires slightly burn my eyes.

"I hope you're not up here to complain about what she said to you."

"NO!"

"Good, because I'd shoot you. Here, I had an idea. Did you get the translator?"

"Yeah."

"Well, how about you wear it? We can all speak Japanese because it's our home language, and the only one who can be compromised is the only one who's different. It'll be much easier."

"O-okay." I pull it out of my pocket and mush it on my face, buckling the strap behind my head. Almost at once, I can feel my brain…shift. I can't explain it. But there is a definite difference up there.

"Do you understand me?"

It still somehow sounds like mish-mash, but I understand it perfectly. I remember what Keiko said: "I don't understand you, but I do!" That perfectly describes it right now, I'd say.

"Yeah." At first it sounds like "HI!" Which must be their word for yes, but again, it translates instantly in my mind. "God, this is weird."

"Well, it's a huge load off of our backs. Kuwabara, Shizuru, and Hiei can take their voice patches out." She says this loudly, so Shizuru can hear it. "They were wearing them so you could understand. Only Kurama, Hiei, and myself can speak it fluently. Keiko never even got a voice patch. She considered it a waste of time."

"Well, that's good that they don't need them anymore." I…I'm thinking in Jap. This is so strange. The translator is taking over my brain, I swear. "How much longer?"

"A few minutes. The only reason that it seems longer to you is that we're not running. We're walking."

"Well, can we pick up the pace?"

"No. You forget that the leader is the one wearing the kimono."

I sigh. "Seriously, I don't care if it was your mother's. Stop wearing it and you'll be happier."

She gives a little laugh. "It's not really my mothers. I staged that whole conversation to make you release some power and believe in us. I even faked blowing up at you."

I stand still and blink. _She completely fooled me. _Then, I catch up to her again. "You don't look it, but you're pretty smart."

"I don't know whether I should take that as a compliment or as an insult."

"You should be louder. People would listen to you more. Maybe you could have even been leader of this team. You're so even-tempered and crafty."

"Oh, no. I'm not a leader. Kurama is all that and more. I really only am here to serve as the doctor. I probably wouldn't have hung around if Hiei hadn't confessed that he was my brother I'd been searching for all my life."

"Yeah, how did that work? I heard you say once that he was your brother. But, he's a fire demon right? And you're an ice demon. And by the way, you're making me cold. How did you get to be related?"

"Tough. And as for the story, well, it was a freak incident in the ice demon world. There was a village where all the ice demons lived. It was not in Antarctica, for your information, but far above the earth where it always snowed. I don't really know how Hiei came to be what he is. But, our matron didn't like him one bit, and really, she was justified. Hiei's unusual power was a danger to us all. So, she pushed him off the edge of our world and I never saw him again for 6 years. That was how he escaped the demon world without a vessel. He was banished."

"That's terrible."

"It was. But then, demons are terrible. They hurt and kill people."

"Why not you, then?"

"Because…because we are the demons that saw the light in time. Another freaky thing. I searched for Hiei forever, to find my brother, and I found him with Yusuke and the others, but I didn't know it then. Later, when he was eighteen, he told me. He was so afraid I would hate him for what he'd become. Overridden with his guilt and rage of banishment, he became a horribly cold murderer. He was just like the rest of the demons. At sixteen, when he joined forced with Yusuke, on and off, he started to heal his soul. I didn't hate him. I forgave him. That was how I got out of the demon world. I was given permission to find him. But I was banished as well as a result. So now, I stay here with the only family I have left."

"That's a sad story. But seriously, how old _is_ everyone here?"

"Keiko and I are 18. Kuwabara, Kurama, and Yusuke are/were 'just turned' 19. Hiei is 20. Shizuru is 21. Genkai (you don't know her yet) is nearing 80."

"So, I'm actually the youngest here?"

"No, you're 15, so that makes you the eldest." She says sarcastically.

"Wow. I seem so much older than you."

She gives me one of those sideways looks with a big purple eye that says exactly the opposite. Then, her bluish light falls on a rocky wall that was once my despair, all those years upon years ago. "Oh! We're here!"

"I don't see a trapdoor above me." Says Shizuru uncertainly.

"It must be closed then." She replies easily. "We just need to wait here for the others."

"What could be taking them so long to pack?" Asks Keiko shakily. I realize that I don't even notice them talking in Jap anymore. I have completely switched to Japanese thought.

"Well, first they have to pack, and then they have to come the same way we did." She says. "Of course it'll take them longer. And they'll have heavier packs, too."

We all accept it, and sit down close to each other**. After a few minutes**:

Shizuru: "I want a cigarette." (Genuine).

Keiko: "I want Yusuke back." (Crying).

Kara/Me: "I want a pony." (Sarcasm).

Yukina: "I want quiet." (Warning).

**Five minutes later:**

Shizuru: "My God, I can't believe I was caught unprepared. This is the first time in years. I want my nicotine!" (Addict).

Keiko: "Ooooh, Yusuke…why did you die? (Sob)." (Crybaby).

Kara/Me: "Where the hell are they?" (Frustrated).

Yukina: "_Please _be quiet." (Begging).

**Five minutes later:**

Shizuru: "I'M DYING! I NEED MY FIX _NOW_!" (Drama Queen).

Keiko: "YUSUKE! (Sob)." (Annoying little bitch—)

Kara/Me: "Oh my God, if they don't come soon, I'll personally shoot you, Shizuru." (Annoyed).

Yukina: "I'll personally shoot _everyone_ if you don't shut up!" (End of conversation).

Well, so much for not saying mean things to a person under huge mental trauma. I sigh. "Did something go wrong with the testosterone half of us?"

"I'm not sure. But seriously, we've been waiting about twenty minutes now. What could be taking so long?"

"Is Kurama really a girl in disguise?"

"No, but you wouldn't be the first person who's asked that."

"What is _with_ the hair? And the pink business suit? And the girl face?"

"Well, he doesn't like pockets and he's too lazy to cut his hair, so he sticks his best weapon in it. That's why it's never brushed. Only Kurama can pull out that rose correctly. Anyone else ends up with a huge chunk of hair the size of Texas along with that rose. It's a secret as to how he does it. And don't ask about the pink. Don't do it."

Then, we finally hear the sound of footsteps, and Yukina makes her fireballs brilliant again. Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei step out. All three of the men have a heavy pack, as Yukina predicted.

"What took you guys so long?" Asks Shizuru. She walks right up and starts shaking Kuwabara really hard. "I…was…getting…worried!"

I wish I had that kind of confrontational courage. Kuwabara is two heads taller than Shizuru, and twice as wide. She is officially my new role model.

"Mr. Hair? Have you given any more thought to the plan?"

"Some. But I'm still at a loss of how to open it. It is much easier to open it inside the spirit world because we have—wait. What if Hiei opens the spirit portal from the other side?"

Hiei looks at him. "Kitsune, I'm right in front of you. I am not in the spirit world."

"No. No, what if we have you open the portal, and…and let you get in. Or…or we could have you send a messenger to Genkai to open the portal. It'll be much faster with the Spirit World technology than our pathetic imitation of it."

"…"

"Your Dragon of the Darkness Flame. It should be thin enough to fit through a developing portal. The first few minutes of growth show the most difference. You should be able to fit that snake though…and then contact Genkai with it."

"And what? Tape a note on its forehead? 'Open the portal. Yours Truly, Hiei.' It's not a physical being. And I couldn't exactly curve the power into words…"

"You couldn't?"

"No. Once the power is out of my hands, it only does its job as the demon dragon of fire. If I curve it into words, it will act like smoke and melt back into the dragon. It's an attack, not a messenger."

Kurama looks stumped, but all of a sudden, I know what we can do.

"Kurama, I think I know what we can do. But we need to get into the bank first to do it. And I'm not going to tell you what I think. We have a limited time, and we need to get out now. I'll just need you and Hiei to come down with me into the bank. This—this is a dream. I really, truly know what I'm doing."

Kurama eyes me, and then nods. "Well, we have nothing else in mind. We'll go with Operation Kara. Now, we just need to get outside."

"Well, then, open the door!"

"It's never been shut before."

"What does that mean?"

"Someone shut it from the outside."

"So…can we open it from the inside?"

"Oh yes."

"Then do it, damn it!"

"But if someone shut it from the outside, that something may still be there. It may be Koenma, just waiting."

"How can you say that so calmly? How do we get out?" Asks Keiko.

"The back route."

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A/N: I ended it kind of abruptly, but that's okay. Do you like it?


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH.

**Chapter 21:**

"Follow me. I refuse to risk getting killed the instant we open that door."

"You just _had_ to say how careless he was." I mutter to Hiei.

"I didn't think he'd become an instant paranoid baka." He defends.

I sigh. "How long will this back way take?"

"It'll actually be very faster than the other way of getting to the surface. But it'll take us much longer to get to the bank."

"Then why are we doing it? We have to get to the bank as fast as possible, so if we stay out of the bank for a while, he'll find us, mark my words." Says Kuwabara. It's a real shame. Now _he's_ the new genius. The regular moron Kazuma Kuwabara is a genius.

"Well, we can't chance a head-on confrontation."

"He won't risk it. I remember Koenma. He always sent someone in his place, except for when he fought Sensui, and even then it was still Yusuke who ended up trashing him. He won't go in person."

Kurama stops walking the opposite direction. He sighs heavily.

"Kurama, you're trying too hard to be a good leader. You exercise too much caution. We have to risk it. Baby bro is right for a change." Says Shizuru. Whoa, Kuwabara is _younger_ than her? Oh yeah, I knew that. But there's just such a height difference…

"For a change?"

"Yup."

Kurama sighs again. "Okay, but don't blame me if this doesn't go through." He turns us back to the wall, and he almost runs into it. He drags his rose out of his hair (Yukina hasn't stopped with the light yet) and, now alerted to it, I carefully observe how he does it. He pulls it out to the right perfectly, and makes it look perfectly easy. Apparently, it's not, according to Yukina, anyway. And what does she know?

"Rose Whip!"

He gets another thorny whip immediately and raises his hand behind his head. He lashes it upward, in another quicker-than-light motion. It sinks into the rock wall far above his head easily with a crack, like a sharp rock dropping onto the asphalt street.

"I thought it was a plant!" I say, shocked.

"It is. But its best power is that it can cut through anything, magical or non-magical. Rock, limestone, diamond, you name it." Says Yukina. "It really comes in handy at times."

"Even if it is girly." Mutters Kuwabara.

Kurama tries to climb up with his feet, but the shoes slip right off again. He tries to climb barefoot, but that also doesn't work. Eventually, he recoils his whip back into a rose and turns to face us again.

"It's a no-go with the whip. But I think I have something we can all do." He digs around in a pocket and pulls out a single tiny golden seed. "Yukina, you'd better put away the ice. That freezing temperature will hurt the tree."

"A tree?" I didn't even notice how cold I was because of Yukina.

"You'll see," says Yukina, and finally puts out the fires in her hands serving as our only light. It is now 100 percent pitch dark. And considerably warmer too, thank heaven.

Then, Kurama drops what must be the seed on the ground. "Demon's Ladder." He whispers.

I hear a huge rumble in the ground. It is literally shaking. I hear rocks pop (more like explode) and dust rains on me. I hear kind of what a thousand snakes or a worm sounds like slithering through the ground. And then, I can tell something emerges. I can't explain it. It's like the air is shaking as much as the ground is.

Then, the huge shaking stops suddenly. There is not a whisper.

"Okay, I can't see, but I would really like to—ah!" I say, as Kuwabara, who must have been in front of me, comes up with that yellow glowing energy sword.

"How the hell do you _do_ that?" I ask, a little scared. Memories of that night are flooding me. He almost sliced me in half when I was on the ground with that thing. It's evil.

"It's an aura sword. Didn't I tell you this? My soul is all sucked into a single weapon. It's not "real" actually, like a painful thing of my soul."

"That's a terrible way to explain it. The Shakra ningen is stupid enough as it is." Mutters a cold voice that I recognize.

"Yeah, Shorty? How would you say something like that to us ningens?"

"Maybe that it's your weapon made of your spirit energy."

Kuwabara silently fumes. I look past the warm golden light. I can see a huge…thing back there.

"What is that?" I ask.

"A tree. Trees are Kurama's specialties. For some reason, fox power means nature power."

"Having teeth and claws would be cooler." Kuwabara says. No one disagrees.

"Can we focus?" Says the Supreme King of Grass. "I've made a tree that grows all the way up through the shut trapdoor. It's built like a ladder. It'll be easy for even the youngest to climb. Kuwabara, you don't need light, and you aren't allowed to climb with your sword anyway. It could hurt the tree. Put it away. And Yukina, watch your kimono on this thing."

"Fine, but I call shotgun." Says Kuwabara, (how does that apply here?) and that little light emanating from his sword disappears.

"Wait." I say. "This is a demon weapon thing, right? Won't it _and_ Kurama both go aflame instantly if I touch it?"

Kurama sighs, thinking. "Well, Kuwabara can carry you. He did it once before. He's a human, so he shouldn't have any problems."

"But she's so heavy!" He whines.

"Weakling." I hiss.

He huffs, but goes over to me. Or what he thinks is me.

"Ouch…Kazuma, it's me! Yukina! Kara's over there!"

"Sorry, darling."

"Kuwabara, you stupid twit ningen, don't you even dare…Kara's about a foot taller than me, remember?"

Kuwabara imitates Hiei's voice in a high manner.

"Don't handle your sister like that!" Shizuru shrieks with that raspy voice.

"Sorry."

"I'm still Yukina!"

"I'm Keiko! Don't touch me!"

"Get away from me! You were already here!"

"Kuwabara, come one step closer and I slice your head off."

"I'm Shizuru!"

"WHERE THE HELL IS KARA ALREADY?"

I've refrained from talking because it's so damn funny. It's kind of like playing Marco Polo with a deaf chimpanzee. "Over here! Jeez, you stupid gorilla."

Hiei snorts, and so do several others. I can almost see Kuwabara stiffening. "Look, you guys, everyone run near Kurama. I'll find Kara easier. But the shotgun is still mine!"

They all mutter agreement and start to go. I say some more stuff to get him to come over. Finally, I feel two large hands around my waist. They lift me up in what they have mistaken to be a gentle manner and he says uncomfortably, "Look, you just hang around my shoulders. And don't you touch the tree, and don't touch me that much either."

"Jeez, it's going to be _so_ hard to keep my hands off you when _YOU'RE CARRYING ME!_"

He slings me over, and I arrange myself so that I'm kind of like a cat, arranged around the base of his head. And it's really killing my left side. I'm already starting to feel a slight burn there.

He walks a few bulky steps (I swear, he's duck-footed or something weird like that) and then, he picks up one leg onto what is undoubtedly the ladder grown up the tree. For a second, I am caught off balance, and almost swing right off. I thankfully catch myself in time. Up goes the other leg. Balanced.

Up goes one leg. Off balance. The other leg. Balanced.

Up goes one leg…oh my god, I think he skipped a step. I slide completely off. (The pain in my left side dies). Someone gasps down south and I just barely catch myself hanging around his neck with my arms. The rest of me is dangling dangerously. It's so great that I no longer have any light. I can't look down and then _really_ fall off my limb.

"Kara—you're—chok—" Kuwabara gasps out and he climbs a while lot faster all of a sudden. I must be cutting off his air supply. He practically flies to the top and then hits his head on a ceiling that must be the door. I can see the top of the snaky tree going right through it. Kuwabara, automatically panicking because of suffocation, starts _hitting_ the door with his hands.

I shift my grip so that he can finally breathe okay, but at expense to myself. I am now holding onto his shoulders and my grip is considerably weaker. Above me, Kuwabara pants very hard and now rationally searches for the latch. Finally, one clicks open and he swings it up with mammoth strength, considering that it's now anchored by the tree. Eventually, he just shoves the whole thing off and pokes his head up.

As he moves farther up, I can see that we're looking up into a little wooden shack. The floor is littered with beer cans. After, he practically throws his body up in his haste to get out of the cold, dark tunnel and accidentally skins my back against the edge of the hole as he goes. Once up, he stands and stretches, shutting his eyes. "See? I knew there'd be no problems up here!" He says.

Knock on wood. Luckily, there is no shortage of wood to choose from. I smirk at my unbelievably witty thoughts.

Before I can even get off this A+ buffoon, something pounces from behind, and Kuwabara screams. I can't tell what it is. Something huge and shaped like a person. It has very sharp claws. I can feel one nearly slice me but get Kuwabara instead. It mashes me against Kuwabara's back, trying to kill us both. The thing itself screams, and lets go quickly. I can't imagine why.

All dignity forgotten, I scream. Be part of the crowd, you know? Kuwabara yells as it comes in for a second claw attack, and spins around just in time to avoid it. I can now see the beast from over Kuwabara's huge shoulder. It's a horrible little bat-eared dark green creature that looks like it lacks hair completely. It has big yellow claws on its overdeveloped hands and huge T-rex yellow teeth. It looks like it's on an amphetamine. Or two. Judging by the drool and rolling eyes, I mean.

"Let's say we listen to Kurama from now on." Says Kuwabara, backing away as the slobbering…thing advances. I realize that this must be what they call a demon.

"Well? Did you used to fight these guys or not? Kill it!" I say, quite afraid. I've never seen one before, and I really wish I never did.

"I can't. Most of my spirit energy was spent in the tunnel lighting things for you."

"God, you really are weak."

"No, just tired. I've been using it a lot lately."

"WHAT CAN WE DO, THEN?"

"Guys, is everything okay up there?" Yells a voice from down below that sounds like it's on the ladder.

"FINE!" Yell two anguished voices. The thing is just coming closer. It seems to be drunk. It's wavering from side to side, and its yellow eyes are going up and down even faster.

Then, Kuwabara gets an idea. He grabs both of my hands that are still hanging onto his shoulders out of fear. Then, in a split second, he leans over, and chucks me right over his head.

"HUG IT!" He yells, or seems to yell, because that couldn't have been what he yelled. Who would hug this thing?

I suddenly realize. The Shakra…

I spread out my arms wide and the demon looks very surprised. But then, it grins menacingly and does the same, only its claws increase about two inches. I shoot forward, hoping to god that it doesn't scratch me…

I finally make contact with the beast. I hit right around its neck area, somehow evading those deadly talons. Without thinking, I fasten my arms around it and hold on really tight. _Shakra, don't fail me now…_

The creature screams and I can feel its horribly slimy flesh grow hot. It screams again and tries to stab me with those claws, but it doesn't even get close. As soon as the very point of the claw touches my skin, its claw and eventually its hand erupts too.

Still, I don't let go. I only increase my hold, and wrap around its midsection with my legs too. It yells even louder and do you recall that this is my second time going deaf today?

Then, its entire torso erupts on the Shakra fire. I am somehow not getting burned by it, probably because I initiated it. Then, the fire spread to its leg flesh and the entire demon body catches on fire.

Now would be a great time to let go. I let go off all slimy skin and fall backwards, flat on my back. I can now see the thing completely engulfed in a red-orange fire. Its eyeballs seem to have popped recently and the fire is inside its mouth too. Muscle and sinew wastes away in front of me. Finally, it no longer has the strength even to stand. It falls over front ways, and I just have the time to scuttle sideways to avoid it, and it falls directly on my shoe. The fire still doesn't hurt. I drag my foot out in disgust. It's got weird slimy demon paste on it. I'll never get that out of my sneaker now.

Finally, the flesh turns black and yucky and still the fire doesn't go out, although it is not spreading. I stand up and watch it burn. Finally, the fire releases its victim and goes out all at once. I stare at the black, burned demon corpse uncertainly.

Yukina's head pops up from the tunnel below. "Man, I'm never wearing a kimono again…" She mutters to herself. I walk over and help her up the last few steps. She finally gets her feet on solid footing, and brushes herself off. She looks down at the demon corpse, and doesn't seem at all surprised. "There's nothing wrong." She quotes derisively. "Then why did Kara go flying and something scream? I suppose that you gave it a welcome hug?"

"Yeah. It couldn't even touch me without going aflame. I didn't get a single wound. It was really something."

"Yes, it was. Kara is completely insulated against direct demon attacks. It's amazing." Says Kuwabara. "I wish I could do that. Oh yeah…Yukina, don't let Kurama see this!" He hisses urgently, and grabs the dead demon and slings the mess into a corner of the room. He then goes to stand in front of it, hoping his bulk will hide it.

I snort. "I don't consider it a power. I can't even attack, unless I'll _hug_ the enemy to death. Why couldn't I have gotten a cool power? I can only defend myself. If the demon doesn't make the first move, I can't do _anything_." Then, I look down at my body. I'm unscathed, except that my entire arms are covered in touch-a-demon-Shakra tattoos. I turn away a peer down my shirt. They're all over there too. I lift the robe. All down my legs, too. Oh my god. I am a walking billboard advertising extreme body art.

"These things fade, right?" I ask, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice. "These tattoos?"

Kuwabara shrugs, which doesn't make me feel a whole lot better. Yukina says, "Possibly. You're the only one with Shakra we know of, so we can't compare you, and we've certainly never been in the situation."

Damn. If I ever get a bikini, am I going to look like some grotesque Dalmatian?

Seconds later, Kurama, Keiko, and Shizuru all pop up. Once they are all okay and on solid footing, Hiei _appears_ all of a sudden directly in front of me.

"Can you teleport or something?" I ask irritably, a little scared and annoyed by my possible future in the bathing suit department. Wait, when did I start thinking like that? Oh god…

"I have super-speed. It may seem like teleporting to ningens, but it's much more than that."

"Would you stop calling me a ningen?"

"No." It's so flat the way he says everything that I almost laugh.

"Guys!" Says Kurama quickly. Then, he notices Kuwabara in the corner, guarding the carcass. "What are you doing?"

He blinks stupidly. "Standing in a corner?"

He blinks, and decides it's not an important enough matter. "Okay, Kara, now we have time. Tell us what you were thinking about getting to the portal."

"No, we don't have time! Koenma will figure out we all killed Junior."

"Who's Junior?"

Damn, I let it all slip. "Never mind. What time is it?"

"It's…" He consults his watch, "11:45 PM."

"Good. We need to get into and under the NJ Center Bank. All the human guards will have left by now. Can you just get me there safely? I know how to get in. I'll make sure it's all okay inside for you all to come in, and you all can follow me to the portal. Can you just do that for me?"

Kurama sighs. "Okay. Whatever. To get out of here, we just need to walk out of that door. And no one talk. We don't want to be heard this late, by humans or demons."

"Okay. How far is it to the NJCB?"

"About 2 blocks to the right. It should be okay, if we use Hiei. And no one use powers. I mean, nothing. Powers will definitely alert demons if they're out there, and otherwise, we'll scare the humans into a panic."

Huggy power. Oh yeah, that'd scare people. "Okay! Can we go now?" I really want to steal already. I've waited so long…

"Kara, this had better work." Says Kurama, turning his leaf-green gaze on me. "If it doesn't, I'm blaming you."

"Go right ahead." I mutter. I turn around and start walking toward the exit, my lust for stealing outweighing my fear of the outside.

"Wait! Come back! If any of us sees a demon, we run from it. Hiei, you can help us with the running. No questions asked. No talking, no powers. The demon won't be able to report back to Koenma that it saw anything unusual. Most demons are blind too, so that'll be okay too."

Hiei sighs. "Well, I guess, everyone make a chain from me. And I'd better not be touched by a ningen, particularly the one that burns. Kurama and Yukina can both grab me and you can all make an equal branch from each of them. Remember, Kara, isn't allowed to touch either of _them_ either."

So, Yukina and Kurama do what they're told and Shizuru and Keiko go to Kurama while Kuwabara goes to Yukina. I guess I have to go with him to make it all even.

I walk up behind him and jump up really high, managing to fasten my arms around his shoulders again. This kid is built like a tank. It's hard to believe that he's only 19. (In case you forgot, this is 4 years after the current YYH).

So, then, Hiei instructs us all to begin a forward march to the exit. He says that once we are all outside, he can speed us directly to the bank.

So, our tiny train of people moves outside. When he takes the first step out, he uses…something…but we all shoot forward about 6 feet in a second. That must be the speed portion of his amazing power. I find that I have suddenly been dragged outside. Automatically, I can tell that this is definitely our little Alken, although we're about two blocks worth away from it. Remember how I said it was chock-full of poisonous smog? Well, that smog has a very distinctive odor.

Hiei acts on his directional orders and all of a sudden, we're flying across the rooftops. I can't say how I know. Maybe it's because the air got that more toxic up here in the haze of it all and maybe because it's just so _fun_. It's not a sin to have fun. Even when we're going on a top-secret mission to break and enter.

Finally, we drop very quickly, and I receive a sharp tug from Hiei. "We're here."

I finally let go of Kuwabara (dropping about 3 feet in the process) and look up at the building. It's large, and stony gray, like a huge rock-hard shoebox. It has no windows, although I think that was a recent renovation. And it wasn't quite as stony as before. I take in my breath sharply. I can't believe it.

I walk up to the wall quickly, and stroke it, hitting it hard. I then walk up to the small metal doors. I realize that it's only a simple lock, easy to pick, but what do you know, my only lock pick was in the clothes that I wore and were stolen from me.

"I—"

Yukina summons her ice balls, and in the flickering light I can see that Kurama gives a violent motion of sealing my mouth.

What am I supposed to do? Oh yeah, sign language. I hate sign language, but what choice do I have? I point to the building, and then at me. I make the referee motion of "not allowed" and look at Kurama apologetically. Then, I mime throwing a whip at him. Did he say it (his rose whip) could break through everything and anything?

He shakes his head, and mimes talking. Oh yeah. He has to say it's name to make it appear. What a corny power. I shrug, _What can we do?_

Hiei walks right up to me and gives me a sword. I am reminded that I'm three feet taller than him. I nod in sarcastic thanks. He rolls his eyes. He mimics twisting it up in a keyhole.

_A lock pick?_ Damn, that just might work, although I've never used something of this great size. I nod this time genuinely and take it from him. I walk up to the thick, iron metal doors and stare at the handles. No. The people don't have a keyhole here big enough for a sword.

I do the ref motion again. He huffs and takes it back. Kurama gives me an exasperated "Well?" sort of shrug.

I mime my tiny lock pick, and remember that it should still be in my old clothes. I point down at me, and do my best "clothing" impression. Seriously, it's just like playing charades with first graders. None of them got what I meant.

I roll my eyes, and walk over to Shizuru. She's a girl wearing pants. Go her. I grab the jean fabric, and point to my navy robe, making the ref motion. I point to her pants again.

Kurama _somewhat_ gets what I'm trying to say. He mimes the lock pick, and puts it in an imaginary pocket, and points to Shizuru's pants. Shizuru has the funniest expression about her lower body being checked out. In case Kurama's getting the wrong idea, I point to my legs, saying that it was in my pants, not Shizuru's. Of course, he probably knew that, knowing him…

He nods, and takes off his backpack, dropping it on the ground with a heavy, dull thud. He opens the top flap and starts rummaging through it viciously. After several seconds, his hands make contact with what he was looking for, and he pulls out my jean capri pants. He holds them up properly and gives them to me. I take in the filthy sight of them. Blood practically covers the right leg of it, and they are torn in more places than when I got them.

Whatever. I am not here to judge pants beauty. I rummage through each pocket, and in the second one I search; I come up with the tiny little bit of metal framework from the bathroom. Also known as the lock pick.

I put down the pants (that sounds SO wrong), and go over to the door again. Yukina follows me so I can see. I jam my lock pick in the handle, and its width just grazes the size limit. I put my ear to the door to listen as I maneuver the lock pick to make it click everything and ultimately open the door. I hear many different mechanisms moving as I insert it in very carefully. Then, I hear a particularly loud click and, smiling, rotate the pick clockwise. I hear a switch get tripped inside.

Then, the handle becomes instantly mobile. But I don't dare open the door. I have no idea what's in there.

I motion for everyone to move to the sides of the door, so that when it opens, a flying squirrel doesn't shoot out or whatever other bullshit system they've created to prevent me from getting in.

Once they are all out of potential danger, I open the door, making sure that I stay behind it. I open it, and it makes no sound, not even the smallest creak. Man, they made this door really heavy…

Okay. It seems to be okay inside. But there may be a laser beam extending outward. Well, I can't take a chance. I'll use one of my signature moves. The decoy.

I pivot slightly and grab my beaten pants. Without hesitation, I throw them inside. Someone behind me gasps at this stupid move.

I hush them with a wave of my hand and wait. Then, I hear a slight burning sound inside, along with a whoosh of something. Perfect. I thought they might try this plan. When it finally stops, I listen carefully to see which side the whoosh is coming from.

I can definitely tell that it's coming to the right. I go inside, and nothing hurts me. I don't dare pick up the pants, though. They probably got fried.

I motion for everyone else to come in. I can't believe the police didn't see the flaw with that plan. They just had a motion sensor that would send a deadly laser beam raining down on the one who opened those doors. Well, what if the thief was toting some good old pants? Then what?

Then, the alarm starts screaming, making a deafening racket. It's so loud I can't even think. My eyes go in and out of focus. I have never in my life heard an alarm like this. It's ripping me apart…

Then, it (the alarm) shuts off almost instantly, a second later, but I am still reeling. With what little eardrum I have left, I can hear electricity crackling above me. I stare up. I can see something above me. He has a long black cloak…

Yep. Hiei stares down at me, and drops completely down, sheathing a sword as he goes, and landing perfectly on his feet. He glares up at me, a look that says, _Were you ever going to shut it off?_

He does his little "Hn," thing and walks right back out the door. "I'm sorry. Just waiting for your okay drove me to insanity."

"Don't talk!" I hiss, and then I realize I just broke it, too.

"Does it matter? Koenma already knows we're here. That alarm was a demon alarm. It's completely debilitating to humans. Koenma sent it. Hn. That happened a while back, remember, Keiko?"

She nods.

I look at Hiei, just standing there, completely calm. That guy is _cool_.I have to admit it. He's got the whole Bad Boy thing going and it suits him well. He'd make a fine partner in crime. Not that he'd ever help a ningen like me, but it would be so much easier to burglarize if he were around. If Kurama weren't Mr. Hair, I'd like to have him around too. How nice it is to have friends who beat you with whips and suffer under the delusion that they're samurais.

Figuring I've done my part, I motion for the others to come in. After the last one, Yukina, comes in, she shuts the door behind her. Kurama breathes and starts to talk.

"This is not good." Says Kurama.

"Why?"

"He found us even without our speech."

"That certainly sounds fishy." I say slowly, with no sarcasm.

"…"

"…"

Everyone else is pretty much silenced by that obvious comment. Kurama rolls his eyes. "Kara, have you ever even been down to the basement?"

"Of course! That's where they keep the vaults! Here, I'll show you where to go. Yukina, come closer, I need more light."

She does and I walk a few feet to the right. I point at the big map of the place, showing just how square it is, or appears to be.

"This map is for self-done tours." I say. I love not having to mime stuff! "Now, the first floor is shown because there's nothing special up here. We're on the first floor." I point viciously to a small spot of map that represents my party. "Now, to get to the vault—"

"The portal." Kurama says quickly, in case I've forgotten.

I roll my eyes extensively and get a glare of Yukina's light. "To get to the vault _and_ the Spirit Portal, what we need is to get all the way up _here…_" I drag my finger up to a place that's miles above. The map shows an unsuspecting part of the bank. "…And we get to a hidden staircase. But, it's probably guarded now, because I used it last time and forgot to cover my tracks, so it'll be harder—"

"Hn. Hidden staircases are found most often in ningen mystery novels. Why would the system be implemented in one of your banks?" says the only person who ever says Hn.

"Because they've lost all their creativity, and expect to stop fools with that simple trick. But I am not a fool."

Hiei snorts derisively. "Hn. You were caught by us with ease, right?"

"Shut up! You talk very highly of capturing a defenseless teenager with two broken limbs and many bruises. That's not an easy capture. That's playing Shirley Temple at chess."

"Who the hell is Shirley Temple?"

I shake my head. "Like it matters. Here, I'll get us to it. But everyone has to know that if I say to stop, they have to listen. If not, we'll set off an alarm—a human alarm. People around the area—guards, usually—will come running. They always do. So, everyone stay behind me at all times. And also—wait, no. Kurama, you can talk now, so call up that Rose Whip. It'll make everything much quicker and easier."

"Okay, but are you sure you know what you're doing—Rose Whip!"

"You guys picked me to do your job, right? The least you can do is make sure I know how to do it." I huff. "Follow me."

I go down the corridor, not suspecting anything other than human threats.

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A/N I hoped you liked it! Whoo, this was a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really—

(Hiei hits me over the head with shovel) Well, at least you kept me in character in this story. I nearly gagged at what you made me do in chapter 35 of what happened to my life. I just would not do that! Everyone knows _that_!

Me: Oh, shut up! There are far worse things you could have done! I could have made you into a slut!

Kurama: Ooh, slut Hiei…there's one we haven't seen before…

Hiei: Some of the things I said in there—

Me: Killed you? That was what I was aiming for.

Hiei: Bloody ningen filth!

Me: That's bloody ningen authoress. _All_-_powerful_ bloody ningen authoress. I already killed Yusuke, why shouldn't I kill you?

Hiei: Not in this story, no! But you can always kill me in what happened to my life. I _want_ to die in there.

Me: But that would be _kind!_ Who do you think I am? Anyway, this was a _really_ long chapter. Seven pages going on eight. R and R, if you would! And try my YU-GI-OH oneshot, I want to see if I really should create more chapters. Most people have liked it so far, but I want more opinions. So, pleasie?

Hiei: NO!

Me: Shut up.


End file.
